Jets’ Aaron Glenn reveals one of the key figures behind his journey to becoming an NFL coach

After a turbulent season last year, the New York Jets have officially named Aaron Glenn as their new head coach. In what marks his first experience as an NFL HC, the former Lions defensive coordinator made it clear who he considers the key mentor behind his rise to this new chapter in his career.

There’s no doubt Detroit was one of the league’s most exciting teams last season, and it seemed inevitable that Campbell’s coaching staff would start to be picked apart once the team’s final loss — led by quarterback Jared Goff — was in the books.

In a recent conversation with the media, published by nydailynews.com, Glenn revealed that one of the driving forces behind his rise and his jump into a head coaching role — becoming one of just 32 in the NFL — was none other than Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

“I think he in the back of his mind, he was prepping me to be in this position,” Glenn said about Campbell. “But also, 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.

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn of the Detroit Lions and head coach Dan Campbell look on prior to the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field on December 11, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan.

“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, so I do agree with that. I think it was a little bit of both now that I actually look back and just think about the positions that he put me in, but again, I give him so much credit for making this a seamless transition for me to stand here and be the head coach of this team.”

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Aaron Glenn’s first steps as Jets HC

Glenn’s first experience leading the Jets’ first team means he’ll be hands-on with every detail from day one. As the first glimpses of the team emerge during rookie minicamp, the new head coach shared his thoughts following the early sessions.

“For me to get a chance to go to every position and be able to give my opinions on how they should do things and try to help those guys be successful and that’s the fun thing about coaching,” Glenn said.

“That’s the fun thing about my development as a coach to be able to go with the quarterbacks and talk to those guys, the running backs, the D-line, the linebackers, so that was the change of being able to move around the field and be able to coach every position.”