NY Jets hire former Pro Bowl CB as latest addition to Aaron Glenn's staff

Aaron Glenn has implemented a common theme in his first coaching staff as head coach of the NY Jets. Glenn has attempted to follow the Detroit Lions blueprint, hiring a host of former NFL players to join his staff.

Glenn’s newest hire is former Pro Bowl cornerback Dré Bly. Sources tell The Jet Press that the Jets have brought in Bly, a two-time Pro Bowler who played in the NFL from 1999 to 2009, as their new cornerbacks coach.

Bly joins a coaching staff that already includes former players such as linebackers coach Aaron Curry, offensive line coach Steve Heiden, and special teams coordinator Chris Banjo, among others.

The Jets are prioritizing playing experience with a number of their coaching hires, and with over a decade spent in the NFL, Bly certainly fits the bill.

NY Jets hire Dré Bly as their new cornerbacks coach

A second-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in the 1999 NFL Draft, Bly would also spend time with the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos before finishing his career as a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 2009.

Bly was named to two Pro Bowls during his playing career and was a member of the Super Bowl champion Rams team in 2000. He was later named to the St. Louis Rams 10th Anniversary Team.

Bly's first non-playing role came as a cornerbacks coach for his alma mater, North Carolina, in 2019. The Virginia native would spend four years with the Tar Heels before leaving to join the Lions' coaching staff in 2023.

It was in Detroit where Bly first crossed paths with Glenn, as Glenn was the Lions' defensive coordinator while Bly worked as the cornerbacks coach. Bly would spend the 2024 season as a defensive analyst for the University of Charlotte before now returning to the NFL.

He will presumably work alongside former NFL safety Chris Harris, who was hired last month to be the Jets' defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator. Harris and Bly will attempt to fill the hole left by Tony Oden's departure.

The Jets have also re-assigned defensive backs/nickel coach Nathaniel Willingham to a new role as assistant linebackers coach, per the team's website. Willingham worked with Oden to coach the defensive backs last season.

There will be no shortage of playing experience on the Jets' coaching staff in 2025. Dré Bly is the latest addition to Glenn's growing staff.

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