Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn agrees to terms with Jets to be their head coach

Aaron Glenn is back where his NFL journey began nearly 31 years ago.

He was a game-changing cornerback for the New York Jets then. Now he’s tasked with helping turn around the fortunes of the franchise.

The Jets and Glenn agreed to terms Wednesday on making the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator their head coach.

Glenn, who oversaw the Lions’ defense the past four seasons, beat out 15 other candidates for the job as the Jets went through an extensive search.

And they ended up choosing one of their former players — a first-round draft pick in 1994 who was mentored by Bill Parcells, became one of the Jets’ best playmakers and developed into a well-respected and highly sought coach.

“This place is special for me,” Glenn said in a statement issued by the Jets, who announced the agreement Wednesday night. “From the time I was drafted and practiced on Long Island to the time I came back as a scout in New Jersey, this organization has always felt like home.”

The 52-year-old Glenn, who turned Detroit’s defense into one of the best in the league, interviewed with Washington, Atlanta, Tennessee and the Los Angeles Chargers last year. And he met with the Jets, Jacksonville, Las Vegas and Chicago this year.

Glenn spoke with the Jets during a video call on Jan. 9 and then interviewed in person Tuesday.

The Jets also interviewed Brian Flores, Jeff Hafley, Vance Joseph, Mike Locksley, Josh McCown, Matt Nagy, Ron Rivera, Darren Rizzi, Rex Ryan, Bobby Slowik, Arthur Smith, Steve Spagnuolo, Jeff Ulbrich, Mike Vrabel and Joe Whitt Jr. for the job.

But only Glenn received a second interview. And New York didn’t need to think twice about talking to anyone else again.

“I’m excited to welcome Aaron Glenn home as the head coach of the New York Jets,” owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. “Aaron earned this opportunity through almost three decades of NFL experience — 10 with us as a player and a scout.

“He brings tremendous leadership skills and the vision this organization needs to be successful. I am thrilled to see him lead this team.”

Glenn becomes the third Black head coach in the franchise’s history, joining Herm Edwards and Todd Bowles. He’s also the first Black coach to be hired to lead an NFL team during this year’s hiring cycle.

“I’m thankful to Mr. Johnson for this opportunity,” Glenn said. “To our players, prepare to be coached with everything we have. That is our responsibility. I ask that we share the same vision and that’s working toward winning a championship.

“To our fans, simply put, expect a winning team that you will be proud of.”

The Jets also are going through a lengthy search for a general manager, and Washington assistant GM Lance Newmark was at the team’s facility Tuesday as well.

Newmark, one of 15 candidates to interview for the GM job, was the first to get a second meeting with the Jets — like Glenn — but hasn’t agreed to a deal. New York is expected to have second interviews with Denver assistant GM Darren Mougey and Cincinnati executive Trey Brown.

Glenn and the new GM will be tasked with trying to revamp a franchise that has the NFL’s longest active playoff drought at 14 seasons.

Glenn played eight seasons with New York and was selected as one of the cornerbacks on the franchise’s All-Time Four Decade team in 2003.

He later had stints with Houston, Dallas, Jacksonville and New Orleans and finished his career with 41 interceptions, including six returned for touchdowns, and made the Pro Bowl three times.

After his 15-year playing career, Glenn had a stint as the general manager for the Houston Stallions of the Lone Star Football League in 2012 before coming back to the Jets as a personnel scout later that year.

He served as Cleveland’s assistant defensive backs coach from 2014 to 2015 before being hired for the same position in New Orleans. After five seasons with the Saints, he was hired by the Lions as defensive coordinator in 2021.

Joe Namath, the quarterback who led the Jets to their only Super Bowl victory, in 1969, was pleased with the hiring of Glenn.

“I’m hoping all @nyjets fans are as thrilled as my family and I are that Aaron Glenn is our new Head Coach,” Namath wrote on X shortly after the news broke. “I wish the season would start next week!”

The Lions, who lost to Washington last Saturday in the NFC divisional round, now have lost both of their coordinators with Glenn joining the Jets and offensive guru Ben Johnson hired by the Bears.

Glenn will become the sixth first-time full-time head coach to be hired by the Jets since the end of the 2000 season. He joins Edwards, Eric Mangini, Ryan, Bowles and Robert Saleh. All had defensive backgrounds. The only coach the Jets hired during that stretch with an offensive background was Adam Gase in 2019.

Johnson hired The 33rd Team, a football media, analytics and consulting group founded by former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, to assist them in November. They’ll now turn their attention to bringing in a new front-office leader to replace Joe Douglas, who was fired with the Jets en route to a 5-12 season. Saleh was fired after a 2-3 start and New York went 3-9 under interim coach Ulbrich, who was hired this week as Atlanta’s defensive coordinator.

The major tasks for Glenn and the eventual new GM will be trying to build a roster that returns the Jets to the playoffs after a long absence and determining whether the franchise will have quarterback Aaron Rodgers back next season — if he still wants to play — and possibly beyond.

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