Wilson, a Maryland native, played briefly in nearby Washington, D.C., after going undrafted as a defensive back out of Maryland. It didn’t take long for him to transition to the non-playing side of football, landing a position as a pro scout for the Bears in 2008. Wilson got his start in teaching in 2012, when he joined the Rams as a defensive quality control coach. It only took three years for him to be promoted to defensive back coach.
Wilson has now become widely recognized as one of the league’s best defensive backs coaches, having previously worked with the Jets and Eagles before joining Baltimore. In both previous positions, he eventually added the title of passing game coordinator to his resume. During his stint with the Eagles, Wilson’s unit contributed to the league’s top pass defense and second-best overall defense in total yards allowed. First-team All-Pro cornerback James Bradberry, Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, and converted safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson all thrived in Wilson’s room, with Gardner-Johnson leading the league in interceptions after switching positions from slot cornerback.
For a time, it was assumed that Wilson was the obvious choice to take over as Eagles defensive coordinator once Jonathan Gannon left for a head coaching position. Unfortunately, the team ended up employing Sean Desai instead, a decision that looks bad a year later. After being passed over for the job, Wilson found his way to Baltimore, where he has helped another defensive unit achieve elite levels. This year, Wilson has seen second-year safety Kyle Hamilton blossom, converted cornerback Brandon Stephens take over as a full-time starter after switching from safety, and backup safety Geno Stone compete for the interception title with Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland.
Wilson will now have an opportunity to interview for the Titans position. He will, in fact, be the first to interview for the Titans’ position, just as he was with the Giants. This wasn’t a job that we knew was open. Technically, Shane Bowen is Tennessee’s defensive coordinator, but with head coach Mike Vrabel no longer in charge, Bowen and the rest of his staff have been aggressively interviewing for open positions elsewhere.
Bowen may still be able to keep his job under new head coach Brian Callahan, but Wilson’s invitation to interview indicates that the position is open. If Bowen is still a candidate, he will go off against the position coach coaching in the AFC Championship game this weekend.
