The New York Jets and Aaron Glenn agreed to terms on Wednesday to make the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator their head coach, according to a person familiar with the hiring.
Glenn, who oversaw the Lions’ defense the past four years, Defeated 15 other candidates. for the job after the Jets went through an extensive search to find their next coach.
And they chose one of their former players — a first-round draft pick in 1994 who now gets a chance to try to change the franchise’s fortunes 31 years later as its coach.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the hiring. ESPN first reported that Glenn agreed to coach the Jets.
The 52-year-old turned Detroit’s defense into one of the league’s best One of the most sought after candidates During the past two NFL hiring cycles. He interviewed with Washington, Atlanta, Tennessee and the Los Angeles Chargers last year and met with the Jets, Jacksonville, Las Vegas and Chicago this year.
Glenn spoke with the Jets during a video call on Jan. 9 and then an in-person interview on Tuesday.
The Jets interviewed Brian Flores, Jeff Hafley, Vance Joseph, Mike Locksley, Josh McCown, Matt Nagy, Ron Rivera, Darren Rizzi, Rex Ryan, Bobby Slovic, Arthur Smith, Steve Spagnolo, Jeff Ulrich, Mike Vrabel and Joe Witt Jr. What did For work
But only Glenn got a second interview. And New York never had to think twice about talking to anyone again.
The Jets are also undergoing a lengthy search for a general manager, and Washington assistant general manager Lance Newmark was at the team’s facility Tuesday.
Newmark, One of 15 candidates To interview for the GM job, was the first to have a second meeting with the Jets — like Glenn — but didn’t agree to a deal.
Glenn and the new GM will be tasked with trying to improve 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 worked 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.
Following his 15-year playing career, Glenn served as general manager of the Lone Star Football League’s Houston Stallions in 2012 before returning to the Jets later that year as a personnel scout. 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.
Joe Namath, the quarterback who led the Jets to their only Super Bowl victory in 1969, was happy to hire Glenn.
“I hope all @nyjets fans are as excited as my family and I that Aaron Glenn is our new head coach,” Namath wrote on X Soon after the news broke. “I wish the season started next week!”
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