Aaron Glenn is returning to the team where it all began for him almost 31 years ago, taking on the role of head coach for the New York Jets. Glenn, who previously played as an impactful cornerback for the franchise, has now agreed to lead the team, following a head coaching search that concluded on Wednesday. A source familiar with the situation confirmed the agreement but requested anonymity as no official announcement had been made by the Jets, although ESPN was the first to report the news.
Glenn has spent the last four seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, where he significantly enhanced the performance of their defense. He emerged victorious among 15 other candidates during an exhaustive search process conducted by the Jets, eventually becoming the team’s selection for head coach. Glenn was originally a first-round draft pick by the Jets in 1994 and was under the mentorship of renowned coach Bill Parcells. Over the years, he established himself as one of the Jets’ most excellent playmakers and earned a reputation as a highly regarded coach.
At 52 years old, Glenn turned the Lions’ defense into one of the league’s top units. Last season, he attracted interest from teams, including Washington, Atlanta, Tennessee, and the Los Angeles Chargers, before interviewing again with the Jets, alongside franchises such as Jacksonville, Las Vegas, and Chicago this year. His interaction with the Jets began with a video call on January 9, followed by an in-person meeting on Tuesday. Glenn was the only candidate to receive a second interview and swiftly became the clear choice for the Jets.
With his hiring, Glenn will be the third Black head coach in Jets history, following Herm Edwards and Todd Bowles, and he is also the first Black coach to be appointed to an NFL team in this hiring cycle. While the Jets make this leadership change, they are concurrently conducting a search for a new general manager. Lance Newmark, assistant general manager with Washington, was at the Jets’ facility on Tuesday, having been one of the 15 candidates who interviewed for the GM position, marking him as the first to receive a follow-up meeting, similar to Glenn.
The challenge for Glenn and the forthcoming general manager will be to rejuvenate a franchise that has the longest active playoff drought in the NFL, currently standing at 14 consecutive seasons without postseason appearances. Glenn himself played eight seasons with the Jets and was notably named to the franchise’s All-Time Four Decade team in 2003. Following his playing career, which concluded with 41 interceptions—six of which were returned for touchdowns—Glenn transitioned into coaching after a brief stint as the general manager for the Houston Stallions in 2012. He returned to the Jets that same year as a personnel scout and held various coaching positions before securing his role with the Lions in 2021.
Joe Namath, the legendary quarterback who led the Jets to their sole Super Bowl victory in 1969, expressed support for Glenn’s hiring via social media shortly after the announcement. He shared his excitement, hoping the Jets’ fans shared in the sentiment. Following Glenn’s departure, the Lions will now seek to fill both their coordinator positions, as Ben Johnson also left to join the Bears.
Glenn is now one of six coaches, all with defensive backgrounds, hired by the Jets as first-time full-timers since the 2000 season, with the only exception being Adam Gase in 2019, who had an offensive background. Additionally, Jets’ owner Woody Johnson employed The 33rd Team, a football analytics group founded by former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum, to aid in the hiring process back in November. Their focus will also shift to appointing a general manager to replace Joe Douglas, who was dismissed amid a disappointing 5-12 season.
Both Glenn and the incoming general manager will face the significant responsibility of rebuilding a team long absent from postseason contention, alongside crucial decisions regarding quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ future. The four-time MVP, who has made history with over 500 regular-season touchdown passes, has one year left on his non-guaranteed contract with the Jets. Additionally, the team needs to address the contract status of wide receiver Davante Adams, as well as a number of key players scheduled to enter free agency, including linebacker Jamien Sherwood, cornerback D.J. Reed, and tight end Tyler Conklin.
