According to Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, Aaron Glenn is the perfect head coach to turn around the New York Jets.
Speaking with reporters at the NFL’s annual owners meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, Campbell instilled the utmost confidence in Glenn to revitalize the Jets organization.
“If he can’t [turn around the Jets], nobody can,” said Campbell.
“As long as he’s got the support, AG will turn that thing around,” Campbell added. “He’s an unbelievable leader. He’s the type of person that makes people want to rally around him.”
Campbell, 48, has been the Lions’ head coach for the past four seasons (2021-present), with Glenn serving as Campbell’s defensive coordinator in each of them.
Glenn took over a Lions defense that ranked last in DVOA in 2020 and steadily developed it into one of the league’s best. Detroit’s defense improved in that key metric each season under his guidance, climbing from 29th to 27th, then 13th, before reaching fifth in 2024.
During the 2024 season, Glenn’s unit did an exceptional job stopping opposing offenses in crucial moments, holding opponents to the league’s lowest third-down conversion rate (32.4%) and the second-lowest mark for fourth-down conversions (41.4%).
Along with his ability to transform defenses into top units, Glenn is also notably known for being a leader of men and galvanizing a locker room.
Jets fans should view these words from Campbell as valuable, considering Detroit was in a similar spot as the Jets just a few years ago. When hired ahead of the 2021 season, Campbell inherited a 5-11 team that had not won a division title since 1993 or a playoff game since 1991. In four seasons, he has delivered two division titles and two playoff victories, including a run to the NFC championship game in 2023 and a franchise-record 15 wins in 2024.
As the Jets endure a 14-year playoff drought, the longest active skid among North America’s four major sports leagues (NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA), Glenn aims to replicate the turnaround Campbell orchestrated in Detroit and finally lead New York back to the playoffs.
