JACKSONVILLE – The Giants lost their first assistant coach under Tom Coughlin yesterday when Billy Davis, their linebackers coach, departed to become the defensive coordinator in San Francisco for newly-hired head coach Mike Nolan.
Having an assistant leave is not surprising, considering Coughlin is extremely demanding of his staff. It is a surprise that Davis, 39, would land such a promotion, but Nolan apparently spotted something he liked.
Davis spent three years coaching linebackers in Atlanta under Dan Reeves. Nolan is a Reeves protege.
There was speculation late last season that some of Coughlin’s assistants would leave, but this departure was based on upward mobility.
Though they’ve never coached together, Davis will work closely with Nolan, who built the Ravens’ dominant defenses of the past three seasons as their defensive coordinator.
Nolan is expected to use a 3-4 defense to take advantage of the 49ers’ linebackers, the strongest area of a team that finished 2-14 last season.