Three weeks after the end of the season, the Jets still have not hired a defensive coordinator.
Gang Green has previously announced eight coaches who were previously part of the first round of interviews.
Former Ravens and Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who has been the favorite since shortly after the vacancy became available, had his second interview over the weekend. However, no deal has been reached.
There’s a chance Glenn could call plays himself, according to several sources. In that case, he would also elevate Chris Harris, who served as the interim defensive coordinator for the final three games, to the permanent position.
Glenn being the de facto defensive coordinator may not be the worst thing in the world. After all, calling plays is exactly how Glenn got the Jets coaching job in the first place.
During Glenn’s four seasons as Detroit’s defensive coordinator, the team finished with a 39-28-1. During that time, the Lions’ defense didn’t finish any higher than 19th in yards allowed. However, Glenn is a motivator and a leader of men, and he knows how to keep players motivated and following his message. That’s why, despite a 3-14 season in 2025, many players still have confidence in Glenn’s message.
“AG has a side of him that when there’s so much negative going on, you have to be positive,” Jets defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said earlier this month. “During the offseason, there’s not too much negative stuff.
“Now, you can come with an iron fist and say, ‘ This is what our standard is. I wasn’t here throughout OTAs and training camp, so I don’t know how everything’s handled here. But just with some of my conversations with some of the older players on the team, it’s going to be clear from Day 1. This is a standard. But we have to just with everybody comes in here, there are going to be like, ‘Oh damn, that’s how they do things.’”
Glenn tried to be the CEO in his first season with the Jets, and that’s understandable. He wanted to learn every aspect of the team, including on the offensive side.
Many coaches have tried to be both the CEO and the defensive playcaller, with little success. Remember, Jeff Ulbrich attempted to do that when he became the interim coach after Robert Saleh was fired in 2024. The Jets won just 3 of 12 games under Ulbrich, and he later said he wished he had delegated playcalling to someone else after becoming the interim coach.
With the pressure on in 2026, Glenn should run his defensive system. When Glenn hired former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, the two said the Jets’ defense would be a blend of their styles.
If the choices are Martindale and him calling plays, Glenn should be the defensive playcaller. In his final season as their defensive coordinator in 2024, the Giants finished 27th in total defense, 29th against the run, and 26th in scoring defense. Those numbers are similar to the Jets defense under Wilks.
With similar personnel to that in 2024 when they finished with a top-five unit, the Jets’ defense plummeted to 25th in yards (355.6) and 31st in points allowed (29.6). Wilks was finally fired following an embarrassing Week 15 loss to the Jaguars.
Although the numbers didn’t always indicate that, Glenn’s defense was successful while with the Lions. Despite missing several players due to injury, Detroit finished tied for 10th in takeaways (24) and seventh in scoring defense (20.1) in 2024.
The 2025 version of the Jets would have killed for takeaways and a scoring defense like the one Glenn had in Detroit. Gang Green not only finished the season with zero interceptions, but it also registered only four, with three of them coming defensively.
Glenn said he considered calling plays last season, but thought overseeing the entire team would be better.
“I really felt like this first year and who knows maybe years to come that I want to really do a good job of managing the team,” Glenn said. Making sure that I have my hands on the offense, defense, and the special teams and I think it’s been valuable for me to be honest with you.
“And again, to have (Steve) Wilks a former head coach, somebody that’s coordinated defenses before I thought that was the best for me for my first time being a head coach and everybody’s different. Everybody’s different, but yes I did think about calling it, but again, I thought being able to manage the team will be better for me in my first year.”
The Jets have remained committed to Glenn despite the public outcry from some fans who wanted him fired after one season. But with potential coaching candidates like Mike Tomlin and Sean McDermott joining the coaching carousel in 2027, the pressure is on Glenn and the Jets to get their defense and team turned around in a hurry.
But if Glenn wants to improve his unit, maybe he should realize he is the one who can get the most out of a defense that played below its standard in 2025.
