Jets' first defensive coordinator finalist would be a disastrous choice

The New York Jets appear to be reaching the final stages of their search for a new defensive coordinator this offseason, and on Monday, the team's first official finalist was revealed.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that the Jets completed a second interview with interim defensive coordinator Chris Harris on Sunday, making the young assistant the first known finalist for the job.

Harris was one of eight candidates to take part in virtual interviews with the Jets last week, alongside Wink Martindale, Daronte Jones, Jim Leonhard, and others. He is the first of the group to reportedly advance to a second interview.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn is in search of a replacement for Steve Wilks, after the well-traveled veteran assistant was fired last month. However, it's safe to say Harris would be an uninspiring choice.

Jets hold second interview with Chris Harris for defensive coordinator job

Harris joined Glenn's staff as the team's defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator last January after two years in the same role with the Tennessee Titans from 2023 to 2024.

He received an unexpected opportunity when the Jets fired Wilks ahead of the team’s Week 16 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, elevating Harris to interim defensive coordinator for the final three games of the season.

The results were nothing short of disastrous. The Jets allowed more than 35 points per game during Harris’s three-game stint as defensive coordinator, and while the roster was depleted to the point of being nearly unrecognizable, he did little to inspire confidence.

Breer can insist that Harris is a "rising star in coaching" — as he did in his report — all he wants, but the optics of running it back with a very similar defensive staff as last season would be nothing short of catastrophic for Glenn and the Jets.

This is the same defense that failed to record a single interception across 17 games with Harris leading the secondary and overseeing the pass defense. Promoting him to full-time defensive coordinator after allowing more than 35 points per game in his brief audition would be embarrassing.

The more likely scenario is that the Jets retain Harris as a key member of Glenn’s defensive staff in 2026 under a new defensive coordinator. If the rumors are accurate, that coordinator could be Martindale, who remains the odds-on favorite for the job.

The Jets will continue to conduct in-person interviews over the coming days, with the expectation that they could hire their new defensive coordinator by the end of the week. The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt reported last week that Harris is seen as a "legitimate candidate."

While Harris may not be the favorite, he is well respected inside the Jets’ building and doesn’t appear to be a paper candidate. Still, if Glenn wants to save his job, he’s probably better off going in a different direction.