Home Sports Jets reportedly hiring Lions’ DC Aaron Glenn as new head coach

Jets reportedly hiring Lions’ DC Aaron Glenn as new head coach

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Aaron Glenn spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Aaron Glenn spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Aaron Glenn has seemingly spent time with every NFL team throughout his career as a player and coach.

But a stop with the Detroit Lions is what ultimately led to his opportunity to become an NFL head coach.

Glenn, after a successful career as the Lions’ defensive coordinator, will be hired by the New York Jets. according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

For decades, the Lions were practically a dead end. It speaks to the organization that general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell have built that the Lions are now one of the model franchises in the NFL. That’s a big reason why Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson were two of the most sought-after names for head coaching vacancies this offseason. Suddenly, everyone wants to replicate what the Lions are building, after generations of Detroit being a laughing stock.

Johnson was hired this week as the new head coach of the Chicago Bears. Another member of Campbell’s staff in Detroit, defensive line coach Terrell Williams, will join the New England Patriots as their new defensive coordinator. And now, apparently, Glenn is headed to New York.

Glenn got his first opportunity to be an NFL head coach due to his work in turning around the Lions’ defense and overcoming multiple injuries in the second half of the 2024 season. He had the respect of his players, which helped became a popular name. During the 2023 season, an NFLPA poll of players ranked Glenn as the league’s best defensive coordinator.

When the offseason began, Glenn was on the list of almost every team in need of a new head coach.

“He’s the best coach you’ll ever find,” Campbell said. via Detroit Free Press. “He’s an even better human being. If no one wants him, I’ll hire him again, I can tell you that right now. But the idea of ​​going through another cycle and not being someone’s coach is ridiculous.”

Glenn was a first-round pick of the Jets in 1994 and had a 15-year career as a cornerback in the NFL for five different teams. Glenn’s first job after finishing playing was as general manager of the Houston Stallions of the Texas Lone Star Football League. That’s a humble beginning for a future NFL head coach. From there, Glenn spent one season as a scout for the Jets before becoming an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints and then defensive coordinator for the Lions.

It took a few decades as a player and coach for Glenn, 52, to finally get the chance to manage an NFL team. But there was a good reason he was one of the most popular names in this coaching cycle.

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