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Aaron Glenn

Jets Moving Toward Aaron Glenn, Lance Newmark Hires

January 21st, 2025 at 11:12pm CST by Adam La Rose

11:12pm: It doesn’t sound like any deals will come together tonight. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, both Glenn and Newmark have left the Jets facility without deals. Connor Hughes of SNY.tv cautions that all sides will continue to talk, so there’s no huge cause for concern within the Jets front office.

4:45pm: The clear favorites for the Jets are known regarding both the head coach and general manager vacancies. Lions DC Aaron Glenn and Commanders AGM Lance Newmark are meeting in person with the team today, paving the way for a potential hire in both cases.

New York’s reported intention is to work out an agreement with Glenn before he leaves the facility; especially if that proves to be the case, Newmark could soon agree to take on GM duties. The two have worked together in Detroit, and Newmark is the only candidate so far who has met with the Jets for a second time regarding the general manager vacancy. This situation could produce a pair of hires very soon.

Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports optimism is building with respect to both Glenn and Newmark being brought onboard. An agreement has yet to be finalized in either case, but that could of course change at any time. Considering Glenn has already been in contact with potential coordinator hires, it would come as no surprise if he were to agree to a New York deal. If that does not take place today, however, the Saints will continue to loom as an alternative destination.

Newmark’s Commanders are one of the four teams still playing, but as the Titans’ hiring of former Chiefs exec Mike Borgonzi demonstrated, front office personnel are free to join new teams at any time. Coaches whose seasons have ended cannot do the same, but the Lions’ upset loss this weekend left Glenn (along with Ben Johnson) on the market earlier than expected.

The Jets have leaned heavily on The 33rd Team’s Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman to lead the search for both the HC and GM roles. Both processes have been wide-ranging, but further signs indicate they have come to an end. SNY’s Connor Hughes reports other candidates are being contacted and told they are out of the running, all-but confirming a Glenn-Newmark tandem will soon officially be in place.

Lions’ Kelvin Sheppard Emerging As Popular DC Candidate

January 21st, 2025 at 8:19pm CST by Ben Levine

With Aaron Glenn trending towards New York, there’s a good chance that one of his soon-to-be-former assistants will be a hot name on the DC market. According to Jordan Schultz, Lions linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard is expected to be a candidate for open defensive coordinator jobs.

[RELATED: Jets Moving Toward Aaron Glenn, Lance Newmark Hires]

Of course, Sheppard’s coordinator candidacy will be partly tied to Glenn. If the current Lions DC ends up taking the Jets head coaching job (or another HC gig), then Sheppard would be a natural replacement on Detroit’s sideline. Further, Sheppard could also be an option to join Glenn in New York (or elsewhere).

A 2011 third-round pick out of LSU, Sheppard spent nearly a decade in the NFL. A few years after his retirement, he joined Detroit’s coaching staff as their outside linebackers coach. After a year in that role, Sheppard transitioned to inside linebackers coach, a title he’s held for the past three seasons.

The coach has earned praise for helping revive the careers of veterans (like Alex Anzalone) and helping guide young draft picks (like Jack Campbell and Malcolm Rodriguez). Per Schultz, Sheppard has a “sterling” reputation not only in Detroit, but around the NFL…so a promotion might not be dependent on a Lions connection.

Steve Wilks, Nick Caley, Scott Turner, Klint Kubiak Among Potential Aaron Glenn Jets Targets

January 21st, 2025 at 3:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

3:27pm: Saints OC Klint Kubiak is another name to watch on this front, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports. Kubiak met with the Browns for their offensive coordinator position prior to the team’s decision to promote Tommy Rees. He does not have a history of working with Glenn, but the 37-year-old would make for an interesting addition to the Jets’ staff if he were to be brought in.

1:14pm: Aaron Glenn is set to take part in his second Jets head coaching interview today, and he represents the team’s top target. A deal could be reached at any time as a result, and a few interesting names have emerged with respect to coaches who could find themselves on a Glenn-led staff.

On the defensive side of the ball, SNY’s Connor Hughes notes that Steve Wilks will be a name to watch. Wilks will be a potential defensive coordinator candidate for New York in the event Glenn is hired as head coach. The latter is currently the Lions’ DC, but there is of course no guarantee he would continue calling plays if he were to take on the Jets’ head coaching position.

Wilks has a coaching background dating back to 1995, and he has been on an NFL sideline for all but three seasons since 2005. The 55-year-old has been a full-time head coach on one occasion in addition to a pair of defensive coordinator gigs at the pro level. The most recent of those was in 2023 with the 49ers, a position Wilks took after he did not receive the Panthers’ full-time HC gig . San Francisco moved on from him after last year’s Super Bowl, and he was out of coaching for this season.

With respect to potential offensive coordinators, Hughes reports Glenn has been in contact with at least two candidates. Nick Caley is one of them; the soon-to-be 42-year-old is currently in place on the Rams’ staff. Caley spent eight years with the Patriots, with much of that time coming as the team’s tight ends coach. He continued in that role last year upon arrival in Los Angeles, but this season he took on the additional title of pass game coordinator.

Caley does not have experience as an offensive coordinator, but Scott Turner does. The latter is the other name Glenn has been in contact with, per Hughes. Turner took over as interim OC for the Raiders after Luke Getsy‘s midseason firing, and he has not been connected to any NFL coordinator vacancies in the time following head coach Antonio Pierce‘s dismissal. Turner is, however, a candidate to join Bill Belichick‘s North Carolina staff.

It remains to be seen (for the time being, at least) if Glenn will indeed be hired by the Jets. If that does take place, though, it will be interesting to see if the candidates he has been in contact with will wind up following him to New York.

Jets Schedule Second GM Interview With Lance Newmark

January 21st, 2025 at 11:47am CST by Nikhil Mehta

JANUARY 21: Newmark is traveling to the Jets’ facility today, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports. That means his second interview will take place on the same day as Glenn’s; as such, a pair of major organizational moves could be made in the immediate future.

JANUARY 20: The Jets have scheduled a second interview for their general manager vacancy with Lance Newmark, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Newmark is currently the assistant GM for the Commanders, who he joined last offseason after 26 years with the Lions. In Detroit, he spearheaded scouting operations and roster management as senior director of player personnel, overseeing the team’s remarkable turnaround over the last few years. He also has experience leading the Lions’ Football Technology and Football Information departments.

Newmark’s tenure in Detroit also resulted in a strong relationship with both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, who emerged as top head coaching candidates this cycle. Johnson is no longer available after accepting a job with the Bears, but Glenn has continued to pick up momentum in New York.

Glenn is “very interested” in coaching the Jets, who are “highly intrigued” by the leadership and schematic advantage he would bring, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. He may be even more inclined to take the job if paired with a former colleague in Newmark.

The offseason hiring cycle is starting to speed up, so the Jets may need to move quickly if they want to hire Glenn and Newmark for their top leadership positions. Glenn is scheduled for a second interview in New York this week, but is also considered a frontrunner for the Saints job, while Newmark has also interviewed for the Raiders’ GM gig.

Jets Aiming To Finalize Aaron Glenn HC Hire

January 21st, 2025 at 8:41am CST by Adam La Rose

With Ben Johnson having agreed to become the Bears’ next head coach, attention has now turned to his former Lions coordinator colleague Aaron Glenn. The latter will conduct a second interview with the Jets today, and he may soon have a deal in place.

New York’s goal is to make it through today’s meeting without Glenn leaving the facility, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. No agreement has been worked out yet, but achieving that objective would take Glenn off the list of remaining HC candidates. A second interview with the Saints is scheduled for tomorrow, but it is telling that the 52-year-old elected to speak with the Jets first.

As Rapoport’s colleague Mike Garafolo adds, Glenn spent part of yesterday speaking with assistants who may join him on his next staff. The presumed destination for that scenario was New York, another indication the team has landed on its preferred coaching candidate. If a deal is finalized, it will pave the way for a reunion in Glenn’s case.

The former Pro Bowler played 205 games in the NFL. The first 121 of those came with the Jets, and Glenn served as a full-time starter throughout his time with the team, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods. Earlier in the hiring cycle, it became clear New York (along with New Orleans) represented a serious potential landing spot in the event he were to receive a head coaching opportunity. Glenn has never led an NFL staff, but it appears that will change shortly.

The Jets hired a highly-regarded defensive coordinator in 2021 when Robert Saleh was brought in. He remained in place through the midway point of the 2024 campaign, posting an overall record of 20-36 prior to his dismissal. Things did not go according to plan when DC Jeff Ulbrich was promoted to interim head coach, leaving some to expect an offense-oriented replacement would be brought in f0r 2025. If the Glenn hire goes through, though, the opposite will be true.

Glenn began his pro coaching tenure with the Browns, spending two seasons with the team before coaching the Saints’ defensive backs for five years. His first coordinator gig came with Dan Campbell and the Lions in 2021, and the team’s defense has improved in terms of points allowed every year since then. The Lions dealt with a slew of injuries from the regular season through to this weekend’s upset loss in the divisional round, but after ranking seventh in the NFL in scoring defense Glenn’s stock has not taken a hit.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano notes the Jets do not currently have any other in-person HC interviews scheduled. The same is also true of the team’s general manager vacancy, with Lance Newmark set to take part in his second interview today. Newmark’s career included a lengthy tenure in Detroit, and he has a strong relationship with both Johnson and Glenn. SNY’s Connor Hughes reports Newmark was expected to follow Johnson to the Raiders, but since that is not the case he is free to work with Glenn in New York. A hire on both fronts could happen as early as today.

With their coaching search seeming to be close to the finish line, here is a look at where things stand for the Jets:

Lions HC Dan Campbell Expects Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn To Depart

January 20th, 2025 at 1:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn reside as two of the top coaching candidates still available. Six head coaching vacancies remain around the league, but that figure could drop very soon.

When speaking to the media on Monday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell admitted there is a strong possibility of both Johnson and Glenn departing during this year’s hiring cycle. Such a scenario would leave Detroit in need of a new offensive and defensive coordinator for 2025, while other staffers could leave as well by following Johnson and Glenn to their new destinations. Nothing is imminent on that front, but Campbell knows he will likely be shorthanded in the near future.

“I would expect to lose both, but I haven’t been told anything,” Campbell said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “I just, I’ve got a feeling, but I am prepared to lose both.”

Johnson has been strongly linked to the Raiders, although the Jaguars and Bears remain in play as well. Glenn’s presumed top suitors have been the Jets and Saints throughout the interview process, and to no surprise both teams have lined up an in-person meeting with him. With the hiring cycle likely to heat up over the coming days, both staffers (whom Campbell has publicly endorsed as logical head coaching targets for outside teams) will be worth watching closely.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter as well as NFL Network’s Peter Schrager note Johnson and Glenn could each have a head coaching gig lined up by the middle of this week. That would fall in line with current expectations since they are both free to speak with teams at any time over the coming days. Coaches still involved in the playoffs, by contrast, cannot meet with suitors this week.

Interestingly, Campbell added that in the event Johnson departs, quarterback Jared Goff will have input in the search for a new OC. The former Rams No. 1 pick has enjoyed plenty of production with Johnson in Detroit, something highlighted by the $53MM-per-year extension he is currently attached to. Campbell noted duplicating the setup in place with Johnson will be a key goal in the (hypothetical) search for his replacement.

“This thing is set up for Goff to have success with our playmakers,” Campbell said. “[Amon-Ra] St. Brown, our running backs, the O-line, the whole deal. Jamo [Jameson Williams]. And so I want to keep that in place. I want to keep our terminology in place, and I want to make sure that Goff is comfortable, cause he’s playing at a high level.”

To no surprise, Campbell left the door open to both internal promotions and external hires when speaking about potentially needing to fill the void left by his coordinators. It remains to be seen if either path will be necessary, but no one would be surprised at this point if a number new faces were on the sideline for the Lions next year.

Aaron Glenn Lines Up Second Interview With Jets, Saints

January 20th, 2025 at 12:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions’ upset loss on Saturday has made Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn available for head coaching hires earlier than expected. In the latter’s case, at least, things are developing quickly with respect to HC opportunities.

Detroit’s defensive coordinator has a second interview lined up with the Jets, as first reported by Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. This will be an in-person meeting, something permitted for all candidates whose seasons have come to an end. Glenn obviously falls into that category, and it comes as no surprise New York has quickly arranged a follow-up to his first interview.

The 52-year-old was among the first staffers to speak with the Jets as part of their wide-ranging coaching search. That process is ongoing, but this marks the first known candidate to arrange a second interview with the team. Glenn spent the first eight seasons of his playing career with the Jets, earning two of his three Pro Bowls during that stretch. A reunion has been considered a strong possibility given his connections to the franchise and the degree to which he is sought after as a 2025 HC candidate.

Rapoport notes the Saints are expected to speak again with Glenn. Indeed, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports Glenn will meet with New York tomorrow and New Orleans on Wednesday. Both of those teams were named as the leading contenders to hire Glenn last week, and obviously that remains the case at this point. Prior to taking on his current Lions DC position, he spent five years as the Saints’ defensive backs coach.

As a result, Glenn will be a familiar face in the event he takes either head coaching position. The Jets’ list of finalists will no doubt grow over the coming days, however, and the Saints have already arranged a pair of follow-ups of their own. Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver are set to conduct a second interview with New Orleans this week. Glenn will join them in that respect, and once his upcoming meetings have taken place it will be interesting to see how things unfold.

Glenn and Johnson represent two major dominoes in the overall coaching landscape. Both are serious contenders to be hired in this year’s cycle, and further movement (aside from the Patriots’ decision to being in Mike Vrabel, of course) may have to wait until their futures are settled. In Glenn’s case, taking charge in New York or New Orleans remains a distinct possibility.

Aaron Glenn A HC Candidate In Dallas?

January 18th, 2025 at 4:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Compared to the other open head coaching positions, we have heard relatively little about the possibilities in Dallas. So far, the names connected to the Cowboys are few and far between as the team has interviewed just two candidates and only has one other interview on the schedule. That makes it noteworthy to see Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reporting Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as “a name to watch closely” in connection to the job.

Like his coworker on the offensive side of the ball in Detroit, Glenn’s name has been an extremely popular one in multiple searches for a new head coach around the league. He has been mentioned as a candidate for every other open position, already having interviewed with the Jets (1/9), Raiders (1/10), Saints (1/10), Bears (1/11), and Jaguars (1/11) and declining an interview with the Patriots. While New York has reportedly been extremely interested in adding the 52-year-old to lead their staff, so far, the Saints have been heavily linked as a favorite to land Glenn.

Dallas, on the other hand, has been fairly inactive in their search after they got a late start on the process. They’ve interviewed their former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator and current Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore (1/17) and former Jets head coach Robert Saleh (1/18), and they have an interview scheduled with former Vikings head coach and current Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier for Monday. They’ve shown interest in two collegiate head coaches, but North Carolina’s Bill Belichick remains committed to the Tar Heels, and the interest in Colorado’s Deion Sanders has not resulted in anything substantial as of yet.

A Houston native, Glenn played for four of the teams with open jobs (Jets, Cowboys, Jaguars, and Saints) as a cornerback in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The proximity of Dallas and New Orleans to his hometown could be factors in their relevance during his job search, as well. He also spent time on the coaching staff in New Orleans for five seasons as defensive backs coach before landing the coordinator job in Detroit.

Glenn is perhaps the most sought-after coach in this coaching cycle, as evidenced by his connection to every open job so far. The Cowboys will need to make up some ground on a number of teams that have over a week’s head start on courting Glenn in order to contend for his services. Team owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones, though, reportedly holds Glenn in “especially high regard,” so their pursuit may be starting soon.

NFL Coaching Rumors: Johnson, Orlovsky, Sanders

January 18th, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Ely Allen

There has been a bit of criticism in recent days over the interview process for head coaching candidates on playoff teams as coordinators for the Lions, Bills, Chiefs, Eagles, and Ravens have all been participating in interviews during their free time throughout the week. Many of the teams looking to fill head coaching jobs will be watching the Lions’ game against the Commanders tonight, as the results could be a big catalyst for things to come.

According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, if Detroit were to fall to the Commanders tonight, a chain reaction could result for coaching jobs as a mad dash would be incoming to complete in-person interviews with both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. If the Lions continue to win, though, it could continue to stall the hiring process until both coaches become available for in-person interviews.

In anticipation for this expected interest, Johnson has hired a new agent, Rick Smith of Priority Sports, per Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. Smith will likely be apprised of what Johnson’s preferences are and will be fielding phones calls for second interviews as soon as he becomes available.

Johnson has interviewed for the Bears’, Jaguars’, and Raiders’ open positions, as well as the Patriots’ job that was filled by Mike Vrabel. He has not been mentioned as a candidate in New Orleans or New York, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter doesn’t believe he’s in play for the Cowboys’ job.

Here are some other coaching rumors from around the league:

  • One media name has been floating around coaching rumors as former NFL quarterback and ESPN personality Dan Orlovsky has expressed interest in entering the coaching world. Orlovsky claimed on the Pat McAfee Show that he’s “had conversations with places about stuff in the coaching world.” While he’s very happy with his place on television, ESPN jobs are pretty unstable, as we’ve seen in recent years, and Orlovsky admits that if the right situation presented itself, he would be open to exploring it. Later in the week on the show, Schefter confirmed that Orlovsky has been communicating with teams in search of any positions that may fit the bill and interest him. Orlovsky’s interest would be more in the realm of a quarterbacks coach or perhaps even an offensive coordinator gig, but nothing substantial seems to be forming as of yet.
  • There’s been a lot of momentum lately on Colorado head coach Deion Sanders as a candidate for the Cowboys‘ open position. One hurdle mentioned has been a roughly $10MM buyout that could certainly be a deterrent in landing his services. NFL Insider Josina Anderson recently pointed out another hurdle in the process. In order to formally interview Sanders, the Cowboys would need to obtain approval from the school’s athletic director, Rick George, and inform the league office.

Jets Start Submitting HC Interview Requests

January 17th, 2025 at 11:28am CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 17: Griese declined the Jets’ interview request, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. That makes him the first candidate to turn down the chance to meet with the team. New York has, of course, nevertheless compiled a long list of targets as the search process for a new full-time head coach continues.

JANUARY 6: The Jets have been free to interview coaching candidates not currently under contract to other teams. Now that the regular season is over, however, formal interview requests can be made to speak with staffers employed elsewhere.

The Jets have been quite busy on that front, sending out requests to numerous staffers as they map out the next phase of their search process. New York has already interviewed former head coaches Ron Rivera and (after the expiration of his Browns consulting contract) Mike Vrabel. The same will also be true of former Jets coach Rex Ryan, who said on Monday he sees himself as the top candidate.

In addition to those three, a slew of coaches have received an interview request. That includes Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, as noted by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Slowik is in his second season leading Houston’s offense after he followed DeMeco Ryans from San Francisco. The Texans put up strong numbers during quarterback C.J. Stroud‘s rookie season, leading to head coaching interest in Slowik’s case. The 37-year-old’s unit regressed in 2024, but he has still landed at least one interview request this time around.

The Jets have also requested an interview with Arthur Smith, per Rapoport. That comes as little surprise given the interest New York showed in Smith this past offseason for a role on the team’s offensive staff. Smith instead took the Steelers’ OC gig, but a recent report noted he was likely to receive a look for head coach from the Jets. After three years at the helm of the Falcons (which consisted entirely of 7-10 seasons), Smith immediately moved on to his current role in Pittsburgh. He turned aside interest for North Carolina’s head coaching position, but it will be notable if he explores any HC vacancies at the NFL level this winter.

Another offensive staffer who has received an interview request is Joe Brady. Rapoport reports the Bills’ play-caller has received a slip from the Jets, one which could very well be followed by others shortly. Brady had a forgettable tenure under Matt Rhule with the Panthers, but he has been in Buffalo since 2022. The 35-year-old took over as interim OC midway through last season, and that move sparked improvement in the team’s run game in particular. Brady remained in place on a full-time basis for 2024, and he again guided Buffalo to a strong showing on offense.

Remaining on the offensive side of the ball, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports New York is interested in speaking with Matt Nagy. The former Bears head coach would meet the Jets’ desire to add an experienced leader on the sidelines, although Nagy’s Chicago tenure did not yield much in the way of success after 2018. Following his Chicago firing after the 2021 campaign, Nagy returned to the Chiefs to serve as their QBs coach. The 46-year-old was then promoted to offensive coordinator (in a non play-calling capacity) last offseason following Eric Bieniemy‘s departure. Nagy’s work in that role has put him on the HC radar, with the Saints also being a team believed to have interest.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Brian Griese has also received an interview request. The longtime quarterback had a stretch working as an ESPN analyst from 2009-22, but since then he has worked as a member of the 49ers’ coaching staff. This season marked his third as San Francisco’s quarterbacks coach, and as such Griese has played a large role in developing Brock Purdy into a candidate for the NFL’s next mega-extension at the position. Given his lack of coaching experience, a jump to HC would come as a surprise at this point, but Griese could receive some consideration from the Jets.

Vikings QBs coach Josh McCown is another staffer with an offensive background whom the Jets are looking into. Schefter reports the 45-year-old has received an interview request. McCown’s playing career ended in 2020, and it did not take long for him to transition to coaching. He coached the Panthers’ quarterbacks last season before taking on the same role with the Vikings for 2024. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has understandably received praise for Sam Darnold‘s strong play this year, but McCown’s role has no doubt helped his stock as well.

Having moved on from Robert Saleh midseason and struggled under interim HC (and former defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich), it would come as no surprise if an offensive staffer were to be targeted by the Jets. Not all candidates have that background, though. Schefter reports Vance Joseph has received an interview request, one which may well be followed by others this cycle. His work leading the Broncos’ defense (No. 7 in yards allowed, No. 3 in scoring) has not gone unnoticed, and a second head coaching opportunity could come about as a result. Joseph, 52, coached the Broncos in 2017 and ’18.

Another popular candidate is Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports the Jets have submitted a request. Glenn has been in his current role since 2021, and after receiving confidence from head coach Dan Campbell in the wake of previous poor outings his unit has shown improvement this year. Despite dealing with several injuries, the Lions ranked seventh in scoring defense en route to the top seed in the NFC. Glenn has not worked as a head coach in the NFL before, but the 2025 cycle could present his first opportunity to do so.

Rounding out defensive candidates, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports Brian Flores is on the list of staffers New York wishes to speak with. His success as Vikings defensive coordinator has boosted his stock, and the former Dolphins coach made it clear earlier this season he would welcome another opportunity to lead a staff. Other suitors could be in play as well, and Flores’ interview process will be worth watching closely.

Other candidates will no doubt emerge soon, but for now the Jets have a long list of targets as they seek out Saleh’s long-term replacement. It will be interesting to see where Ulbrich fits into this equation; in any event, though, he figures to have considerable competition for the gig.

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