The Jacksonville Jaguars moved on from head coach Doug Pederson at the end of the 2024 season. They wasted no time starting the search for his replacement, putting in requests to interview a handful of candidates. Some of them have been linked to the Jags for a while, but Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn shouldn't fly under the radar.
Ben Johnson is the crown jewel of this coaching cycle, and rightly so. He's played a huge role in turning Detroit into one of the best teams in the league. Having said that, Glenn also deserves ample praise for his work with the Lions' defense.
Aside from turning Aidan Hutchinson into a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate before suffering a season-ending injury, Glenn has also overseen the development of defensive staples Brian Branch, Terrion Arnold, and Jack Campbell.
Heck, the Lions didn't miss a beat when they lost Hutchinson because other players stepped up in his absence. And with the No. 1 playoff seed on the line, Glenn's unit held the Minnesota Vikings to a measly nine points. This is worth recognition because their division rival is also one of the best teams in the NFL. Yet, they couldn't get anything going against Detroit.
The Jaguars could certainly use help on defense after ranking near the bottom of the league in most meaningful categories. Sure, the Jaguars are seemingly looking for an offensive mind who can get the most out of Trevor Lawrence. However, they could target a coach with a defensive background, and that's what they're doing.
What makes Aaron Glenn an appealing candidate to become the Jaguars head coach
Aside from Aaron Glenn, the Jacksonville Jaguars also want to interview Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh. More recently, they added Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to their wish list.
So what makes Glenn stand out from his peers? His approach to coaching. He's able to relate to players and get the most out of them.
"You have to be relatable, all right, the players have to be able to sit down and talk to you and have a conversation," Glenn said during an appearance on The Pivot Podcast. "There are so many players I'll talk to this day say, 'I've never had a chance to just sit and talk with a coach. I've never had a chance to have interaction and confrontation with the coaches.' I'm like, 'I gotta shut up.' And I said, No, man, 'Tell me exactly what your issues are, right? And we can talk about it.'
Glenn continued, "Me and Tracy Walker. Tracy came to my house right before training camp. Me and Tracy was sitting there just knocking tape off. And one day, he's just like, it's quiet. I was like, what's wrong? He said, 'Coach, I've never, ever had a chance to go to a coach's house. Your wife over there cooking dinner, your daughter is running around all, right? And I'm sitting here watching tape, I just like that just don't happen.' And I was shot like, 'Why? Why can't it happen?' Because, you know what? As a player now, I will love to sit down with my coach, and let's sit there and pick his brain, and watch."
"So that's, that's what I want to offer to all my players, right? Dude, coach over here in play. So that's not what we are, man. We right here like my job is to help you get better. That's my only job, right? My job is to create a winning environment for you, get you paid, right? Because everybody wins, right? The organization wins, and you win if all those things happen. So yeah, I'm gonna sit here and spend as much time as I can with you, because that's my pleasure anyway, to sit here and watch take which and get you better."
Here's the clip of Glenn talking about putting his players in a position to succeed.
I went back and watched Aaron Glenn's interview on the pivot.
— Jamal St. Cyr (@JStCyrTV) January 9, 2025
Yep sign me up for AG pic.twitter.com/kwcSP5cHo8
The clip is from an appearance on The Pivot two years ago. The whole clip is worth a look, as Glenn discusses all the things that make him who he is, and what he expects from his players. The comments about Tracy Walker start at around the 48:00 minute mark.
What's encouraging is that his comments still resonate two years later. At the time of the appearance, the Lions were barely beginning to hit his stride. That season, Detroit finished 28th in points allowed in the NFL. Fast forward to 2024, and it moved all the way up to seventh. Based on the results, it looks like Glenn's approach works.
The Jaguars are surely thrilled to interview him on Saturday, January 11. Then again, they won't be the only team who'll be vying for his services, and that reflects well on him.