Jets hire Aaron Glenn as new head coach: New York reunites with former player, former Lions defensive coordinator

The New York Jets have found their man and thus returned to their roots. No, not with Rex Ryan, who repeatedly pleaded for a second chance as the club’s leader, but with Aaron Glenn, the team’s former Pro Bowl cornerback and, most recently, defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions , who agreed on Wednesday to succeed Robert Saleh and interim. Jeff Ulbrich as the next Jets head coach, according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones.

Glenn, 52, notably began his NFL playing career with New York in 1994, arriving as a first-round draft pick out of Texas A&M and spending eight years as a defensive back for the Jets. He totaled 36 assists in 120 starts for Gang Green and still ranks fourth in team history with 24 career steals.

He becomes the fifth NFL head coach to have playing history with his current team, following Mike Vrabel (New England Patriots), Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers), DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans) and Dan Campbell, his most recent boss in Detroit. .

After playing for the Jets from 1994 to 2001, then with the Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints, Glenn returned to the Jets as a personnel scout to launch his career non-player in 2012. Honored as a member of the Jets’ four-decade all-time team for his extended tenure with the organization, he gained popularity as as a candidate for head coach this offseason thanks to his player-friendly approach in Detroit, where he helped Campbell transform the Lions into one of the NFL’s most formidable contenders.

The Lions initially struggled under Glenn’s leadership, ranking 29th and 32nd in total defense, respectively, during his first two seasons as coordinator, but climbed into the top 20 during the 2023 season , when Detroit advanced to the NFC Championship. Glenn’s unit went on to finish in the top 10 in defense and takeaways in 2024, despite the team’s injuries to several key defenders, including star passer Aidan Hutchinson.

Glenn is the second Lions coordinator to leave the Motor City for a head coaching job this offseason, after offensive player Ben Johnson signed to lead the rival Chicago Bears. He was originally also scheduled to conduct a second interview with the New Orleans Saints, another of his former NFL teams, but that in-person meeting was delayed due to a winter storm in that area.

The Lions, meanwhile, are the first team to lose both coordinators to head coaching positions since the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. Detroit will receive compensatory third-round picks in 2025 and 2026 following the move of Glenn, thanks to NFL rules designed to reward the hiring of minority candidates.