Former NY Jets star considered favorite to be next head coach in 2025

This hire could fix the Jets.

Aaron Glenn
Aaron Glenn | Perry Knotts/GettyImages

The NY Jets appear to be starting over once again. Head coach Robert Saleh has been gone for weeks, GM Joe Douglas was just kicked out of town on Tuesday, and it seems more likely than ever that quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not going to be back in 2025.

The Jets are embarking upon their next head coach search. Even though there's a good chance owner Woody Johnson will not be around as he prepares for a role in the new presidential administration, he will still be involved in selecting the next man to lead the Jets.

While fans are clamoring for either a coach with past experience in charge of the operation or a young, offensive mind, one of Johnson's top targets may fail to check either of those boxes. Luckily for fans, he is a proven Jets legend.

According to Connor Hughes on WFAN, a coaching candidate that will "get a lot of consideration" is Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Before his time as a coordinator, Glenn was one of the best defensive backs in Jets history. Glenn could turn back the clock to the late 1990s and make the Jets a winner.

Lions DC Aaron Glenn considered favorite for NY Jets head coaching job

Glenn was actually a Jets scout for 2 seasons in 2012 and 2013 before transitioning to coaching. After two years as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Browns and five years as the proper DBs coach with the Saints, former New Orleans assistant Dan Campbell brought Glenn to Detroit as his defensive coordinator in 2021.

Glenn's DC tenure started off rocky, with many calling for his firing. After improving the talent around him, the Lions' defense has become one of the best in the league. A well-respected coach by his players, Glenn will likely be hired by someone, if not the Jets, during this cycle.

Fans might not love hiring another defensive-minded head coach right after parting ways with Saleh. However, if Glenn is able to set himself apart as a leader while plucking standouts from the Lions' offensive coaching staff, that setup could help the Jets finally get back on track.

Having spent most of a tremendous career with the Jets, there would be a great deal of motivation for Glenn to be the one who finally breaks the playoff curse. However, Saleh and Douglas both seemed like extremely qualified hires before the Jets stink got to them.

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