FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — On his journey from low-level scout to highly coveted coordinator, Aaron Glenn told friends his “dream job” was to coach the New York Jets — the franchise that made him a first-round pick in 1994.
It became reality Wednesday, as Glenn — most recently the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator — agreed in principle to become the 18th full-time head coach in Jets history, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Jets still are looking to hire a new general manager. They conducted an in-person interview with former longtime Lions executive Lance Newmark, the only known candidate to have a second interview. Newmark, the Washington Commanders’ assistant GM in 2024, overlapped with Glenn in Detroit from 2021 to 2023. Other candidates are being considered as well.
The Jets long for stability and success. They’re coming off their 14th straight season out of the playoffs, the longest active drought in North American sports. They will try to rebound from a turmoil-filled season that included the firings of coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas.
Because of the Lions’ upset loss to the Commanders in the NFC divisional playoffs, Glenn became available sooner than expected. Wasting little time, the Jets hosted him for an in-person interview Tuesday — 12 days after his virtual meeting with team officials.
Glenn spent seven hours at the facility and returned to his Detroit home Tuesday night as talks continued. The New Orleans Saints also showed strong interest. He finished his playing career in New Orleans and later became the secondary coach under Sean Payton.
Glenn, 52, a Bill Parcells disciple, joins the late Walt Michaels as the only two players in Jets history to coach the team. Michaels played one game as a player-coach in 1963 before becoming the head coach in 1977. Glenn starred for the Jets from 1994 to 2001, making two Pro Bowls.
He was involved in one of the most infamous plays in team history — Dan Marino’s fake spike in 1994. Glenn was the corner who got beat on Marino’s last-second touchdown pass. No one blamed Glenn; actually, he was one of the few players who wasn’t duped by Marino’s sleight of hand.
After 15 seasons as a player, on five different teams, Glenn returned to the Jets as a personnel scout in 2012-2013. He transitioned into coaching, working as an assistant with the Cleveland Browns and Saints before landing in Detroit as Dan Campbell’s defensive coordinator in 2021.
Glenn inherited the 32nd-ranked scoring defense. Under his guidance, the Lions improved to No. 7 in 2024 despite a litany of injuries. Their dream season ended with a thud, as Glenn’s defense was overmatched in a 45-31 playoff loss to the Commanders.
His new challenge is enormous.
None of the six coaches who preceded Glenn finished with a winning record. The last three — Saleh, Adam Gase and Todd Bowles — managed only one winning season between them. ESPN analyst Rex Ryan, one of the 16 interviewed for the job, was the last coach to make the playoffs (2010).
Glenn inherits a 5-12 team, but one that has several talented players in their prime. One of his biggest decisions will be quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 41, who is undecided on his future and is eager to meet with team officials to discuss their plans.
If they move on from Rodgers — or if he decides to retire — Glenn and the new GM will have to make a move for a quarterback because all they have on the roster is backup Tyrod Taylor and 2024 fifth-round pick Jordan Travis, who missed his rookie year because of injury.
Glenn also must sort out the wide-receiver situation. Garrett Wilson is coming off a career year, but he was frustrated throughout the season and could ask for a trade or demand a contract extension. Former All-Pro Davante Adams was a productive midseason addition, but his remaining contract (two years, $72.5 million) needs to be renegotiated. If not, he will be released because the cap hit under his existing contract is prohibitive.
The Jets own the No. 7 overall pick in the draft, and have a total of eight picks, but they have only $25 million in cap room, according to the Roster Management System. They have 23 unrestricted free agents, including six starters. It will take some creative cap management to improve the roster under these restrictions.
Glenn is the second Lions coordinator to leave the team for a head coaching opportunity this week. The Chicago Bears on Tuesday named Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson their new head coach.
