New York Jets Name Aaron Glenn Head Coach
The New York Jets have officially named Aaron Glenn as its newest Head Coach.
Glenn, 52, was drafted by the Jets in 1994, and played for the franchise through the 2001 season, where he saw both the good and bad of Jets history as a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback. After retiring from football in 2008 with the New Orleans Saints, Glenn got his start in coaching as a personnel scout for the Jets in 2012. Now some 12 years later, he returns as its 19th full time head coach.
It’s been an incredible ride for the former Texas A&M product. He worked his way up the ranks as a coach starting in Cleveland in 2014 as an Assistant Defensive Backs Coach, before really cutting his teeth as a coach with the Saints in 2016 as Defensive Backs coach under then Saints Head Coach Sean Payton.
In 2021 Glenn became the Defensive Coordinator of the Detroit Lions, and steadily improved that unit from 29th in 2021 to 20th this season. Moreover, the Lions were ranked fifth in the league in rush defense and seventh in the NFL in points allowed per game.
Granted Glenn’s Lions defense got chewed up by the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional playoffs last week, but a lot of that was attributed to the amount of injuries (16) that the Lions had suffered on that unit leading up to it.
Glenn comes back to New York with high recommendations and tutelage from the likes of Bill Parcells, Sean Payton and Dan Campbell.
The Jets who fired former head coach Robert Saleh after a Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London, hope that they strike gold this time with a defensive coordinator whom many claim can bring intensity, discipline and leadership.
The Jets have a history of hiring coaches who originate from the defensive side of the ball. Since hiring Parcells in 1997, eight of the club’s last nine coaches have either coached defense or been defensive coordinators.
While some fans have scuffed on social media about hiring a “defensive coach,” Glenn answered that question to reporters last week in Detroit.
“I’m a football coach, I just happen to be on the defense. You will hire a coach, not just a defensive coach. I will talk to the offense as much as I talk to the defense.”
NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS
The next order of business for Glenn will be filling out his coaching staff. Names like Nick Caley, Steve Wilks, Mark Brunell, Klint Kubiak, and Mike Westhoff are names to watch for based on reporting on Tuesday.
As for the General Manager, at this moment Lance Newmark has not been officially named the Jets GM. According to New York Post reporter Brian Costello, the Jets interviewed Newmark for a second time on Tuesday and will continue their search.
