The New York Jets and Aaron Glenn agreed to terms on making the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator their head coach on Wednesday, according to multiple reports. ESPN first reported that Glenn agreed to coach the Jets.
Glenn, who oversaw the Lions’ defense the past four years, beat out 15 other candidates for the job as the Jets went through an extensive search to find their next coach. And they ended up choosing one of their former players – a first-round draft pick in 1994 who now gets the chance to try to turn around the fortunes of the franchise 31 years later as its coach.
The 52-year-old, who turned Detroit’s defense into one of the best in the league, has been one of the most prized candidates during the NFL’s past two hiring cycles. He interviewed with Washington, Atlanta, Tennessee and the Los Angeles Chargers last year, and he met with the Jets, Jacksonville, Las Vegas and Chicago this year.
Glenn spoke with the Jets during a video call on 9 January and then interviewed in-person on Tuesday. The Jets also interviewed Brian Flores, Jeff Hafley, Vance Joseph, Mike Locksley, Josh McCown, Matt Nagy, Ron Rivera, Darren Rizzi, Rex Ryan, Bobby Slowik, Arthur Smith, Steve Spagnuolo, Jeff Ulbrich, Mike Vrabel and Joe Whitt Jr for the job. But only Glenn received a second interview. And New York didn’t need to think twice about talking to anyone else again.
The Jets also are going through a lengthy search for a general manager, and Washington assistant general manager Lance Newmark was at the team’s facility on Tuesday. Newmark, one of 15 candidates to interview for the GM job, was the first to get a second meeting with the Jets but hasn’t agreed to a deal.
Glenn and the new GM will be tasked with trying to revamp a franchise that has the NFL’s longest active playoff drought at 14 seasons.
Glenn played eight seasons with New York and was selected as one of the cornerbacks on the franchise’s All-Time Four Decade team in 2003.
He later had stints with Houston, Dallas, Jacksonville and New Orleans and finished his career with 41 interceptions, including six returned for touchdowns, and made the Pro Bowl three times.
After his 15-year playing career, Glenn had a stint as the general manager for the Houston Stallions of the Lone Star Football League in 2012 before coming back to the Jets as a personnel scout later that year. He served as Cleveland’s assistant defensive backs coach from 2014 to 2015 before being hired for the same position in New Orleans. After five seasons with the Saints, he was hired by the Lions as defensive coordinator in 2021.
