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Jacksonville Jaguars coaching candidates: Who is Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn?
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- Jacksonville Jaguars coaching candidates: Who is Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are getting the ball rolling on interview requests for their vacant head coaching position.
The team announced requests with multiple candidates, including Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
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Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired Doug Pederson on Monday morning, announcing that he and general manager Trent Baalke , among others within the team, will lead the search for the team's next coach.
"I will collaborate with General Manager Trent Baalke and others, within and close to our organization, to hire a leader who shares my ambition and is ready to seize the extraordinary opportunity we will offer in Jacksonville," Khan said in a statement Monday.
Glenn has been highly touted as one of the brightest defensive minds in football over the past few years. That was especially true this season as Detroit saw a major jump in defensive rankings, going from the 23rd-ranked defense (in points) to the seventh-ranked defense in points.
That jump occurred despite multiple injuries on the defensive side of the ball for Detroit this year, including to former second-overall pick Aiden Hutchinson , who has been out since Week 5.
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Glenn has experience as a former player in the league, playing 14 seasons with various teams, including the Jaguars (2007).
When can the Jaguars interview Aaron Glenn?
Nov. 4, 2007; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton talks with Jacksonville Jaguars corner back (31) Aaron Glenn before the start of their game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stamey-USA TODAY Sports Copyright © 2007 Matt Stamey
Johnson's Lions are on a bye week as the top seed in the NFC. That means, Glenn is eligible to virtually interview as early as this week.
Trent Baalke stays: Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan defends keeping GM, firing coach
Interviews with candidates currently on playoff teams but with a first-round bye are eligible to be scheduled three days after the conclusion of the regular season.
What is Aaron Glenn's coaching history?
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn shakes hands with running back Sione Vaki (33) during warm up before the Tennessee Titans game at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024.
Glenn played 14 years in the NFL before transitioning to an administrator role for a couple of years with the Houston Stallions as the team's general manager in 2012 before moving on to the New York Jets for a couple of years from 2012-13.
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After a couple of years as a front-office man, Glenn moved on to coaching, first with the Cleveland Browns as an assistant defensive backs coach (2014-15) before moving on to become the defensive backs coach in New Orleans (2016-2020).
Glenn became the defensive coordinator with the Lions in 2021 and has been in that role since.
What are the Jaguars looking for in their next head coach? When will they make a hire?
Khan laid out what the team needs in a new head coach Monday during his and Baalke's joint press conference with the local media.
Khan spoke about a variety of topics, including the team's coaching regression from previous years. He spoke about the team's need for deception, calling both sides of the football "predictable."
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When asked specifically what he is looking for in a new head coach, Khan led off with wanting the coach to "win," and represent the city well.
"I think we want him to represent the city and the team, obviously, well. We want him to win. Right now, we are the most predictable team on both sides of the ball. Football, to win, deception is a big part of it. Unpredictability," said Khan.
"If you know exactly what we're going to do on offense or defense, you'd better have the 22 best players to help us win a football game. So, being unpredictable is I think modern football, and we have to be able to show that on the field."
Baalke said during the presser that the team will do their due diligence to get the right coach.
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"We're going to move quickly to get some people lined up to talk to. How long that process takes? I think Shad mentioned, it's going to take as long as it takes to identify the right individual. Is that one interview, is that two interviews? I think we're going to do our due diligence and be very thorough in this process," said Baalke.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars to interview Lions DC Aaron Glenn for head coach
