NY Jets reveal one glaring omission on Aaron Glenn's first coaching staff

The NY Jets officially revealed their finalized coaching staff ahead of the 2025 season on Tuesday. First-year head coach Aaron Glenn was tasked with assembling an improved staff for his debut season, aiming to bring fresh energy and a new direction to the organization.

There's a lot to like about Glenn's initial staff, including an experienced defensive coordinator in Steve Wilks, an upstart offensive coordinator in Tanner Engstrand, and a host of assistants with high-level playing experience.

The Jets' defensive staff is loaded with Wilks and a bevy of highly-touted assistants including defensive line coach Eric Washington and linebackers coach Aaron Curry. The same can't be said about the offensive side of the ball, however.

Glenn's initial offensive staff lacks the same level of experience as the defensive staff. The Jets reportedly aimed to hire a seasoned coach as a senior offensive assistant, but they were ultimately unable to do so.

Aaron Glenn's NY Jets offensive coaching staff lacks experience

Reports suggested the Jets were eyeing former NFL head coach Todd Haley for a position on Glenn's staff. Although Haley hadn't coached in the NFL since 2018, his extensive experience as both a head coach and offensive coordinator made him an appealing candidate to mentor the team’s younger coaches.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, that plan fell through. The closest thing the Jets have to a Haley-like coach on the staff is Scott Turner, who will serve as the team's passing game coordinator and has also been given the title of senior assistant.

Turner's name doesn't carry the same weight as Haley, however. The son of longtime NFL coach Norv Turner, Scott has only a few years of offensive coordinator experience, and neither his stint with the Washington Commanders nor the Las Vegas Raiders this past season was particularly impressive.

The Jets also retained wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, who has the most experience on the offensive staff, and hired Charles London as their quarterbacks coach. Both assistants have ample NFL experience, but neither has a particularly impressive resume.

Among the most surprising hires were running backs coach Nic McKissic-Luke, who has never coached at the NFL level, offensive line coach Steve Heiden, who was previously a tight ends coach, and assistant offensive line coach Brian Natkin, who was coaching at Division-II CSU Pueblo last year.

The result is a largely unproven and inexperienced offensive staff with little reputation to speak of. This doesn't necessarily mean the Jets' offensive coaching staff will be bad, but it does increase the margin for error.

The Jets had hoped to bring in an experienced and respected figure to mentor first-time offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Instead, their offensive staff faces many of the same shortcomings that plagued previous regimes.

It’s too soon to overreact to what might end up being a minor detail, but landing a coach like Haley to support their offensive staff would’ve been a welcomed move for the Jets. For now, fans will have to settle for Scott Turner.

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