The odds are good that Woody got it right this time.
Jets owner Woody Johnson interviewed 16 coaching candidates on the recommendation of “The 33rd Team,” former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum’s operation that identifies prospective coaching and general manager candidates. After four weeks, Johnson made the decision. No stone was left unturned, and great pains were taken to ensure transparency. On Wednesday, Johnson finally settled on hiring Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as the Jets head coach.
Did Johnson need a search firm to hire a guy he was familiar with as a Jets player? It was a waste of money and time to go through this charade of interviewing 10 candidates. Some, like Maryland football head coach Mike Locksley, never had a chance. He could have done a Google search on Glenn with the help of his teenage sons and figured out that the Lions’ defensive coordinator was the right person for this team. Common sense would have made it right to hire him as the Jets coach.
I don’t know if Glenn will succeed as the Jets’ head coach, but I will say he can be a culture changer since he understands what it’s like to be a Jet from his Gang Green playing days. That’s important because he can be a resource for Jets players who struggle with the grind and limelight of playing in New York. He can relate to and help them through it, offering an example of leadership. It was doubtful any other coaching candidate had that street credibility that Glenn has.
Glenn, Now and Then (photo courtesy NY Post)
Todd Bowles, Adam Gase, and Robert Saleh had good intentions when they coached the Jets. The problem was that the job was overwhelming when dealing with the media and fan pressure of being a Jets head coach. That won’t be a problem for Glenn. As a Jets player, he lived through all this and survived. He experienced the lows of being a victim of Dan Marino’s Fake Spike that had the Jets spiral out of control in 1994 to being a member of Rich Kotite’s laughable Jets. He also experienced the highs of turning the Jets franchise around under Bill Parcells by being an essential contributor to changing the culture, which included an AFC Championship Game appearance.
The new Jets head coach will not have any problems coaching the Jets, and it’s encouraging that he wants the job. It could have been easy for him to interview with the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints for their coaching vacancies or stay with the Lions and wait for the next opportunity.
Glenn knows he can be a hero here, as his boss, Dan Campbell, is with the Lions in turning that franchise around. You can bet he won’t pull a Bill Belichick and bail out as “HC of the NYJ.” I don’t expect the new Jets head coach to pull a Gase with what I’ve gotten myself into look, either.
Johnson hired Glenn more for his ability to connect with people than hiring another defensive coach. The Jets owner thought this through in making this hire. Glenn will be demonstrative when necessary, but look for him to be a quiet leader when it comes to getting ‘players’ attention. Today’s players seem to respond more to that approach.
Here’s where Glenn has a chance: The cupboard is not bare. For all Joe Douglas’ flaws as general manager, he did bring some talent on the roster in Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Quinnen Williams, Olu Fashanu and Xavier Gipson that can help lead a turnaround. Glenn can succeed if the new Jets head coach can get a quarterback who knows what he is doing. That’s where the new general manager comes in. It’s on him to find that guy under center.
Glenn already understands part of being a good head coach is hiring a good coaching staff. He likely will hire experienced defensive coordinators such as Steve Wilks and experienced offensive coordinators such as Scott Turner. This is encouraging, considering his predecessors hired their buddies as part of their coaching staff rather than hiring coaches who know what he is doing.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been hard to trust Johnson to get this hire right. I was lukewarm about whoever was hired since it always goes wrong. Again, there’s no guarantee Glenn will be any different. But this hire galvanizes the fanbase and, most importantly, the players. This is the big picture here.
You can say the new Jets head coach brings hope, which makes him an intriguing hire. Everyone wants to see him succeed since he was a fine Jet who conducted himself with class and integrity. This guy paid his dues by starting as a Jets scout and becoming a defensive assistant and coordinator.
The best thing I can say about this hire is that we won’t have a Rex Ryan 2.0. So yeah, the Jets could have done a lot worse.
