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Who is Aaron Glenn: Why every NFL team looking for a HC wants to interview Lions DC
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- Who is Aaron Glenn: Why every NFL team looking for a HC wants to interview Lions DC
For the first time since becoming the Detroit Lions ' head coach, Dan Campbell may need to hire a new defensive coordinator.
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is one of the hot names on the head coaching market in the first week since the 2024 regular season ended. According to reports , all six of the teams with coaching vacancies — the Jacksonville Jaguars , Chicago Bears , New York Jets , Las Vegas Raiders , New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints — are looking to talk to Glenn as a candidate.
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Glenn has helped establish the winning culture alongside Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson during the remarkable turnaround the last three seasons resulting in a 15-2 season and the No. 1 seed. On defense, the Lions have slowly transformed from a bad unit to a respectable one this year.
"He's as good of a coach as you're going to find," Campbell said of Glenn on Tuesday. "He's an even better human being. If nobody wants him, I'll take him again, I can tell you that right now. But the thought of going through another cycle and he's not somebody's head coach, is ridiculous."
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn talks with linebacker Jack Campbell during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025.
Detroit ranked as a top-3 scoring defense in the first half of the season before losing five starters and a total of 12 defensive players to injured reserve during the season . However, his unit finished the year with its best performance, holding the Minnesota Vikings to nine points and no touchdowns in the winner-take-all finale on Sunday.
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Glenn implemented a hyper-specific scheme for Minnesota and quarterback Sam Darnold by increasing blitzes and targeted double coverage toward targets like Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson . It resulted in Darnold completing less than 50% of his passes and Minnesota unable to find the end zone .
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Here is more about Glenn and the Lions defense under his direction.
Who is Aaron Glenn? Background on defensive coordinator
Glenn has nearly a decade of experience in the NFL as a position coach or coordinator and another 15 seasons as a cornerback from 1994-2008.
Glenn, 52, was drafted by the New York Jets as the No. 12 overall pick in the 1994 draft after an All-American career at Texas A&M. He played the first eight years of his career in New York and was a two-time Pro Bowler as a Jet. The upstart Houston Texans drafted him with their third pick in the 2002 expansion draft.
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In the first season of Texans history, Glenn earned Pro Bowl honors again after starting all 16 games and finishing with five interceptions. He spent a total of three seasons in Houston before joining the Dallas Cowboys for two years and finishing his career with single seasons on the Jaguars and Saints. In 15 seasons, Glenn finished with 41 interceptions, 102 passes defended, 639 combined tackles and three Pro Bowl honors.
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He started in the NFL as a scout for the Jets in 2012. His first coaching job came with the Cleveland Browns as the assistant defensive backs coach in 2014, before joining the Saints as the main defensive backs coach in 2016.
He spent five seasons in New Orleans , where he connected with Campbell. Glenn was a part of the Saints' stingy defenses and showed enough as a coach to come to Detroit as the defensive coordinator.
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Where Lions defense ranks under Glenn
Detroits Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn celebrated at Detroit Pistons game
The Lions ranked seventh in the NFL in scoring defense (20.1 points allowed per game) and 20th in total defense (342.5 yards allowed per game). The defense ranked 30th in passing yards allowed but second in passing touchdowns given up, fifth in rushing yards allowed and 18th in rushing touchdowns allowed.
The defense could create takeaways (24, 10th-most in NFL) and execute in high-leverage scenarios. They ranked first in third-down conversion rate (32.4%), second in fourth-down conversion rate (41.7%), and seventh in red-zone conversions (50.9%). It has been the embodiment of Glenn's defensive philosophy of forcing offensive mistakes and playing tight in the red zone.
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The Lions, which have the youngest defense in the NFL, according to snap-weighted age , have bought into his philosophy and development approach. Players have said all season the leaps on defense can be credited to his staff's coaching and weekly game plans and instilling trust in players to execute.
The Lions took the leap in 2024 after ranking 23rd in points allowed and 19th in yards allowed in 2023 and 28th in points allowed and dead-last in yards allowed in 2022.
"A.G. is a great coach," cornerback Amik Robertson said in November. "He just puts guys in position, man. He tells us all the time, he calls the plays but the play is only going to work because of the players. He got those guys and he knows what guy he needs in this spot or this spot to make all of this work."
Previous head coach interviews
In addition to his five interview requests already this year, Glenn interviewed for four jobs last year with the Washington Commanders , Los Angeles Chargers , Atlanta Falcons , and Tennessee Titans .
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Currently, there are six head-coaching vacancies: The Bears, Jets, Saints, New England Patriots, Raiders and Jaguars.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Who is Aaron Glenn: Why NFL teams covet Detroit Lions DC architect
