ClutchPoints
After a disastrous 2024 season in which the New York Jets finished 5-12 and missed the playoffs for a 14th consecutive year. the team could be the most disappointing in the history of football. New York entered the offseason with several significant holes. The Jets faced major question marks regarding their head coach, general manager and, of course, their starting quarterback. While the quarterback situation remains up in the air, the team solved two major issues on Tuesday as the Jets hired Aaron Glenn as their next head coach, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
“He’s home: The #Jets have a deal for Aaron Glenn to be their new head coach, sources say, as the former NYJ first-rounder lands with his old team. A move now celebrated by countless Jets legends, the #Lions DC was the team’s top choice. He’s thanked the #Saints and accepted NYJ.”
The Jets had shown serious interest in Glenn, as the team was impressed with the in-person interview with the former Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator. Realizing that Glenn was one of the most coveted coaching candidates of this hiring cycle, the Jets set the brazen goal of getting a deal done with Glenn before he left the team’s facilities on Tuesday. Mission accomplished.
Glenn’s counterpart in Detroit, former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, is already off the market. The Chicago Bears hired Johnson on Monday and did so without the benefit of an in-person interview. The Bears reportedly made Johnson the seventh-highest-paid head coach in the NFL.
While the details of Glenn’s deal with the Jets were not immediately available, the defensive-minded coach had drawn interest from several other teams, including the New Orleans Saints. So New York doubtlessly made a very competitive offer.
Glenn had been the Jets’ top choice for the next head coach and, according to sources, the feeling was mutual. Glenn preferred the job in New York over New Orleans.
Glenn got his start in the NFL as a cornerback with the Jets. New York selected Glenn with the 12th overall pick in the 1994 draft and he spent the first eight years of his playing career with the team. He had been the Lions defensive coordinator since 2021.
Although he inherited the league’s 32nd-ranked defense, he steadily built the unit up over his four years at the helm. Detroit finished the 2024 season as the seventh-ranked scoring defense in the NFL, allowing 20.1 points per game. Even more impressive, Glenn and the Lions overcame a number of significant injuries on the defensive side of the ball this year, finishing the season with a 15-2 record and the top seed in the NFC.
While Detroit’s season ended in disappointment following a Divisional round loss to the Washington Commanders, the team has been among the league’s best over the last two seasons. And Glenn’s defense has been a major reason for that success.
The Jets’ nightmare 2024...
