NY Jets' fairytale hire becomes reality as Aaron Glenn accepts HC job

After weeks of speculation and one of the most extensive searches the NFL has ever seen, the NY Jets have a new head coach. Former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is returning to the place where his NFL career first began.

Multiple reports confirm that the Jets have hired Glenn to be their next head coach after meeting with him for a second time on Tuesday. Glenn could be joined by Washington Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark, but the Jets will conduct additional GM interviews before making a decision.

Glenn has long been viewed as a frontrunner for the Jets' head coach position. Reports from as far back as last year indicated that the former Pro Bowl cornerback considered the Jets his "dream job," and despite interest from several other NFL teams, he left the team's building on Tuesday with a new contract in hand.

Glenn was scheduled to interview again with the New Orleans Saints, another team showing strong interest, later this week. However, the Jets made sure he didn’t make it to that meeting.

Aaron Glenn homecoming is official as NY Jets hire new head coach

Glenn played eight seasons with the Jets from 1994 to 2001, emerging as one of the league’s top cornerbacks under legendary head coach Bill Parcells. During his time in the NFL, he earned three Pro Bowl selections and a place on the Jets’ All-Time Four Decade Team.

His first non-playing NFL role came in 2012 when Glenn was hired by the Jets as a personnel scout under former GM Mike Tannenbaum, who coincidentally helped run the team's head coach and general manager searches this offseason.

Glenn left the Jets in 2014 to become the Cleveland Browns' assistant defensive backs coach before joining the Saints a couple of years later. After five seasons as New Orleans' defensive backs coach, Glenn was named the Lions' defensive coordinator under new head coach Dan Campbell.

Glenn actually interviewed for the Jets' head coach job back in 2021 before the team ultimately hired Robert Saleh. Now, with a few more years of experience under his belt, Glenn is being brought in as Saleh's replacement.

The homecoming is a dream come true for Glenn who reportedly identified the Jets as his preferred destination from the start. It's also a perfect hire for a Jets team that has been searching for a CEO-style head coach who is familiar with the organizational landscape and the New York market.

Sometimes fairytales in sports do become reality. Here's to hoping this one has a happy ending for both Glenn and the Jets.

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