New York Jets hire Aaron Glenn as head coach: Reports

The New York Jets have hired Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as their head coach, according to NFL Network and ESPN.

Glenn, 52, was the Lions’ defensive coordinator from 2021 to last season. He also played cornerback in the NFL for 15 seasons from 1994 to 2008, spending most of his time with the Jets and Houston Texans.

New York fired head coach Robert Saleh in October after a 2-3 start (and 20-26 record in a little more than 3¼ seasons at the helm) and replaced him on an interim basis with Jeff Ulbrich. He finished 3-9 with the Jets and was announced over the weekend as the Atlanta Falcons’ new defensive coordinator.

The Jets may also have to make a change at quarterback. Future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers has publicly said he is uncertain about his future, but he would not make a decision until a new coach and general manager were named.

“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 dance together or whether it’s not in the cards,” Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show” this month.

New York has the No. 7 pick in April’s NFL draft.

Glenn began his coaching career in 2014 as an assistant defensive coach with the Cleveland Browns. He spent two seasons with the Browns before becoming the New Orleans Saints defensive backs coach in 2016, a position he held through 2020.

Detroit, under head coach Dan Campbell, hired Glenn in January 2021.

The Lions are coming off a strong season defensively under Glenn, having allowed the seventh-fewest points in the NFL during the regular season.

Glenn is the second coordinator to leave Detroit this offseason. The Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson, the Lions’ offensive coordinator from 2022 to 2024, as their head coach.