The New York Jets have taken the first major step in getting their rebuild off the ground.
The Jets on Wednesday hired Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as their new head coach, the team announced.
Glenn, 52, held a second interview in person with the Jets on Tuesday, just three days after the Lions were eliminated in the divisional round playoff game, thereby freeing up the team’s assistants to be hired. He had been scheduled to have a second interview with the New Orleans Saints later this week, according to multiple reports.
Now, the former NFL cornerback will serve as the leader of the franchise for which he played from 1994-2001, earning two of his three career Pro Bowl nods. He also began his post-playing NFL career with the Jets as a scout.
“This place is special for me,’ said Glenn in a statement. ‘From the time I was drafted and practiced on Long Island, to the time I came back as a scout in New Jersey, this organization has always felt like home. I’m thankful to (owner Woody) Johnson for this opportunity. To our players, prepare to be coached with everything we have. That is our responsibility. I ask that we share the same vision and that’s working towards winning a championship. To our fans, simply put, expect a winning team that you will be proud of.”
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Glenn becomes the second Lions coordinator to leave for a top job with another team this week after Ben Johnson agreed to terms on a deal with the Chicago Bears on Monday.
In Detroit, Glenn deployed an aggressive defense that managed to rank seventh in points allowed in 2024 despite a rash of personnel losses, with 12 players from the unit finishing the year on injured reserve.
His scheme that runs heavy on man coverage and blitzes should carry over to New York, which features top talent in cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, among others. But despite ranking third in yards allowed for the second consecutive year, the defense finished 20th in points allowed, with the unit wavering after defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich took over as interim coach after Robert Saleh was fired.
New York finished 5-12 in 2024, extending the league’s longest active postseason drought to 14 seasons.
The Jets are still without a general manager after firing Joe Douglas in November.
Perhaps the biggest question facing Glenn will be whether Aaron Rodgers is part of the team’s plans for 2025. The quarterback remains under contract but has acknowledged his future with the organization is uncertain.
‘I think everybody understands that it’s going to come down to a GM and a coach and myself and whether we all want to do a dance together or if it’s not in the cards,’ said Rodgers on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ last week.