This offseason, one of the New York Jets’ most praised hires was defensive line coach Karl Dunbar.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn explained why it was such a no-brainer to name Dunbar his D-line coach this offseason.
“I knew at some point if I had the opportunity to hire him as my D-line coach, I would jump at the chance to do it. There are no secrets to why the guys that he’s coached play at a high level,” said Glenn.
Dunbar and Glenn overlapped with the Jets from 2012-13 when Dunbar was the Jets’ defensive line coach, and Glenn was a scout with the organization.
Dunbar was one of the several assistants not retained by the Pittsburgh Steelers following Mike Tomlin’s dismissal. Throughout his seven years as the Steelers’ defensive line coach, Pittsburgh led the NFL with 392 sacks.
Beyond that, he did a tremendous job of developing young talent, such as T.J. Watt, a perennial Pro Bowler and one of the best defenders in football.
Dunbar also has a reputation for getting the most out of less heralded players, including third-round pick Alex Highsmith, who has posted 45.0 sacks over 60 games after being drafted out of UNC Charlotte.
Now, in his second stint with the Jets, Dunbar will be tasked with developing the No. 2 overall pick from April’s NFL draft, David Bailey, along with getting the Jets’ defensive line back on track after they finished 31st in sacks last year with 26.
