Jets turn attention to GM after hiring Aaron Glenn as coach

FLORHAM PARK, NJ — Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells sounded like a proud father when he talked about Aaron Glenn and his methodical rise through the coaching ranks. In the middle of the stream, Parcells paused and asked a question about the New York Jets.

“Have they named a GM yet?” he asked Wednesday afternoon, shortly after word leaked that the Jets had reached an agreement to make Glenn their next head coach.

No GM yet.

“It’s important to Aaron,” Parcells said of his former player, who he coached with the Jets and Dallas Cowboys. “I hope he gets someone to work with.”

It is a critical piece to the puzzle. Coach-GM synergy is an absolute must for an organization to succeed.

It is certainly unconventional to hire the coach before the general meeting. When that happens, it always raises questions about power structure and compatibility. The question mark gets bigger if two strangers are paired together.

In the past, the Jets have failed at matchmaking, especially in 2019 with coach Adam Gase and GM Mike Maccagnan. The friction was so bad that the marriage lasted only four months and ended when Maccagnan was fired after the draft.

This time, the Jets’ coaching and GM searches appeared to be on parallel tracks, but that changed Wednesday when it was revealed the plan was to continue the interview process with GM candidates. Cincinnati Bengals senior staffer Trey Brown and Denver Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey were booked for other interviews, league sources said. Brown is scheduled to arrive Thursday at Florham Park.

It was widely believed that Glenn and Washington Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark were a package deal. After all, they worked together for three years with the Detroit Lions, and both were on hand Tuesday at the team facility for other interviews. Newmark was the first GM candidate to get a second (in-person) interview.

Glenn has been hired since, while Newmark has not now. He remains a candidate, according to a team source, but it certainly looks like the Jets have shifted their focus to Brown and Mougey, two of the original 15 candidates interviewed.

What happened to Newmark? Did a better opportunity come along? There is only one other GM vacancy – with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who parted ways with Trent Baalke on Wednesday. A league source speculated that Newmark could be a candidate in Jacksonville, which also needs a coach.

As for the Jets, their timeline was sped up when the Lions were unexpectedly bounced from the playoffs last Saturday night. Suddenly Glenn was available for hire. They had to move quickly because the Saints in New Orleans were lying in wait. The Jets got it done with a five-year contract that reunites their former star cornerback.

Next, the Jets must find the right fit for Glenn. It is a traditional GM job where the GM has the final say on the roster and staffing decisions. Essentially, Glenn will be involved in the hiring of his boss.

He hasn’t worked with Mougey or Brown, neither of whom have GM experience, but know this: Glenn and Brown have been friends for a few years. They were introduced by former Jets scout Michael Davis, now the Jaguars’ director of college scouting. A league source said Glenn is “very comfortable” with Brown, 39, who is considered a rising leader in the league.

“A future star,” the source said.

Brown was a scout for the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles and was the Eagles’ director of college scouting from 2016 to 2018. He left the NFL for two years to work as an executive in the Alliance of American Football and the XFL before joining the Bengals in 2021. Before this year, he interviewed for at least three GM jobs.

Mougey, 39, has worked for the Broncos his entire career, rising from scout to assistant GM. He too is well regarded; he helped put together a roster that includes four All-Pros this season, all of whom were drafted between 2021 and 2023.

Mougey has an indirect connection to Glenn – Broncos coach Sean Payton, Glenn’s former boss at the Saints. Glenn and Payton have remained close, and it’s likely Payton has put in a good word.

As for their new coach, the Jets made a big move by going with Glenn, who was one of the hottest names in the coaching pool, but now they have to find him a match at GM.

“I’m excited for Aaron,” Parcells said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes. There’s a lot that goes into it.”