Aaron Glenn’s new coaching staff is beginning to take shape.
After hiring Brian Duker as defensive coordinator last week and naming Frank Reich offensive coordinator on Wednesday, Glenn has added another coach to his staff.
According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, the New York Jets have hired Karl Dunbar as their defensive line coach.
Fresh off a seven-year run as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive line coach, this will mark Dunbar’s sixth stint as an NFL coach and his second with the Jets. He spent three seasons as Gang Green’s defensive line coach under then-head coach Rex Ryan from 2012-14.
The 58-year-old replaces Eric Washington, who served as the Jets’ defensive line coach under Glenn in 2025, before being one of seven assistants to be fired after the season’s conclusion.
Dunbar was one of several assistants not retained by the Steelers following Mike Tomlin’s firing. During his tenure as the Steelers’ defensive line coach, Pittsburgh led the NFL with 392 sacks while creating a reputation as one of the league’s most dominant front fours.
Now the former defensive end will be tasked with turning around a struggling Jets defensive line that ranked 29th in pressures last season (220) and 31st in sacks (26).
For a team that struggled to generate any pass-rush juice, the hire of Dunbar makes a ton of sense to help rebuild New York’s front four.
The Jets still have several vacancies to fill on their defensive staff, most notably the linebackers coach role.
