New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn is no different than any first-year head coach. Throughout his career, he relied on mentors to help him get where he is now.
Unlike many first-time coaches, though, Glenn’s mentors happen to be some of the best in the league, both in the active game and in the league’s past.
As a former player under Hall-of-Famer Bill Parcells, Glenn got his coaching start from him. It was Parcells who helped Glenn get into the coaching ranks as a scout first. Later on, Super Bowl winner Sean Payton hired Glenn as the Saints’ defensive backs coach.
Payton and Parcells are some of the best coaches in NFL history. They weren’t the only ones who helped Glenn reach this point in New York, though.
Dan Campbell’s Impact on Aaron Glenn
Before joining the Jets as head coach, Glenn was the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions under Dan Campbell’s staff. It was with Campbell that Glenn got his first taste not just as a play-caller, but as a team builder.
Following the conclusion of his first rookie camp as the Jets’ top man, Glenn gave full credit to Campbell for his impact in helping him be prepared for the offseason schedule he has put in place.
“I give a lot of credit, man, to Dan Campbell, for putting me in positions to be head coach for the Lions in certain situations, and for him putting me in the front of the room, for him asking my advice on how practice should go,” Glenn explained. “It was a really seamless transition for me to script practice.
“It was a seamless transition for me to be in front of the team, so all those things he’s done may actually prepped me to be in this position, so I’ll give him a lot of credit for that.”
Scheduling practices is a very important part of being a head coach. It’s the time where teams can work in depth with players to devise game plans and systems that can succeed during the season.
Glenn wasn’t just used as a schedule creator, though. After a rocky start to his tenure in 2021, the Lions’ defensive coordinator improved the unit into one of the best in the league.
Along the way, the former Pro Bowl cornerback developed a reputation as a player’s coach who could also be hard when the going got tough.
And a reason for that, in his eyes, was twofold. One, Campbell knew he could connect with players better than others on his staff. Two, the Lions’ head coach was grooming Glenn to be a head coach one day.
“I think he knew I had the ear of the team also, not just the defense, because I
vibe with those guys on the offense quite a bit,” Glenn said. “I think I’ve said this before, every morning at 7:30, J-Mo (Jameson Williams) was in my office and we would sit there and talk.”
Whatever the case, Glenn continues to be grateful for his time in Detroit.
Glenn has always had the ability to connect with players in the modern game as a former player. As a current coach, though, he’s been able to get guys on the Jets to buy into his program early. It could very well be the difference between New York needing a few years to improve and making immediate gains early on.
Nobody knows how good Glenn will be with his former team. At the very least, though, he is taking what he has learned from successful coaches like Campbell to be fully prepared for this opportunity.
All there is left is to go out and build a winner moving forward.
