Such is the price of success: your assistants move on to more prestigious roles elsewhere.
It’s now two-for-two: both the Detroit Lions’ offensive and defensive coordinator from this past season will not be back with the team. One day after former OC Ben Johnson agreed to become the Chicago Bears’ head coach, his defensive counterpart, Aaron Glenn, has his first head coaching job as well.
Glenn has agreed to become the head coach of the New York Jets, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The move comes after Glenn spent the last four years as the Lions’ DC, a tenure that started out rough (ranking in the bottom-five in the NFL in both yards and points in 2021 and 2022) but showed significant signs of improvement the last two seasons. In particular, Glenn helped turn the Lions’ run defense around in 2023, as they went from 30th to 3rd in yards per carry allowed. Overall, the Lions ended up ranking 7th in points allowed and first in point differential this season, while finishing 8th in turnover differential.
Prior to his tenure with the Lions, Glenn served as the defensive backs coach for the New Orleans Saints for five seasons, helping to mentor the likes of Marshon Lattimore (who won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017), C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Vonn Bell.
The Jets job is a reunion of sorts for Glenn, as the Jets drafted him 12th overall in the 1994 NFL Draft. He played eight seasons for the Jets as one of their starting cornerbacks, making two Pro Bowl appearances while recording 24 interceptions and five forced fumbles. He then bounced around the NFL for another seven years before retiring after the 2008 season.
New York is also expected to announce their choice for general manager soon as well, with Washington’s Lance Newmark being the likely selection.
With Johnson’s and Glenn’s departures, Lions coach Dan Campbell will now need to conduct several significant interviews over the next several weeks. Both departing coordinators called plays on their respective sides of the football, and although Campbell has been an offensive playcaller in the past, he has been hands-off since Johnson was elevated from tight ends coach to OC for the 2022 season.
Considering that Glenn was hired from outside the building and Johnson was promoted from within, expect Campbell and the Lions to cast a wide net to replace these two. However, one individual who will not be an internal promotion candidate is former defensive line coach Terrell Williams, who was only in Detroit for one season. On Wednesday morning, Williams was announced as the new defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, rejoining former boss Mike Vrabel.
Also notable for the Green Bay Packers is the fact that this means Jeff Hafley will remain as Matt LaFleur’s defensive coordinator. Hafley was one of several candidates to interview for the Jets job in the past few weeks, but with Glenn taking the position, he will return to lead the Packers’ defense for a second season in 2025.