Aaron Glenn was the only candidate worth hiring, and the one the fans wanted as head coach. He’s already showing why.
Last week, the Jets completed their minicamp. Everything went smoothly, and the players competed hard against each other, which is unheard of at this time of the year when everyone is wearing shorts, not pads. What a contrast to recently outgoing coach Robert Saleh, who reduced the workload, trying to keep players fresh and healthy for the season.
That’s the type of impact Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has already made.
We won’t know how good Glenn is until he has put in at least two full seasons. That said, when it comes to first impressions, he looks like the real deal.
There’s no doubt there is a method to Glenn’s madness. The Jets were undisciplined in games, and Glenn will push his players hard in minicamps to help them be prepared and disciplined in games. Call it accountability and professionalism, and he’s planting seeds for both.
It was telling that Garrett Wilson showed up to minicamps rather than holding out to make a point of wanting an extension before training camp. That’s another example to give Jets fans hope that Glenn can turn around this flagging franchise.
Photo courtesy NY Jets
Glenn has the pedigree to do just that. He was successful as an NFL player with the Jets, playing in the 1998 AFC Championship Game. After the Jets, he played for four other teams in the league in a career that spanned 15 years. Then, as an NFL coach, he advanced up the ladder, from assistant defensive backs coach (Browns) to defensive backs coach (Saints) and defensive coordinator (Lions) over an 11-year career, during which he learned various systems and was mentored by multiple head coaches.
That experience gives him gravitas when it comes to commanding players’ respect, something that Glenn’s immediate predecessors, Robert Saleh, Todd Bowles, and Rex Ryan, didn’t have.
Like Bill Parcells, whom Glenn played for in NY, he’s a no-nonsense head coach. That’s a plus when you consider the talent that ex-Jets general manager Joe Douglas assembled. The defense should be good. The offense should be better with Justin Fields at quarterback, and part of the reason is that the offensive line has continuity. Moreover, Glenn has assembled a strong coaching staff, led by coordinators Steve Wilks (Offense) and Tanner Engstrand (Defense), both of whom are solid in player development.
And what makes this narrative especially sweet is that it’s a homecoming story. Glenn played here, including being part of a turnaround story with Parcells on a team that went from 1-15 under Rich Kotite in 1996 to 12-4 under Parcells in 1998. Now Glenn gets a chance to do it again, this time as head coach.
Glenn was the only candidate worth hiring, and the one the fans wanted as head coach.
For the first time in a very long time, Jets fans have a reason to B-E-L-I-E-V-E.
