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3 things to know about Patriots’ head-coaching candidate Aaron Glenn
"The thought of going through another cycle and he’s not somebody’s head coach, is ridiculous."
The Patriots are reportedly casting a wider net when it comes to their search for a new head coach.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Patriots have requested permission to speak with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
This marks the fifth coaching candidate the Patriots have reportedly requested an interview with since firing Jerod Mayo on Sunday.
New England has already confirmed in-person interviews with former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and longtime NFL assistant coach Pep Hamilton on Tuesday. The Patriots will reportedly interview Mike Vrabel on Thursday and Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on Friday.
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Much like Johnson, Glenn’s interview with the Patriots would have to be a virtual chat — as any coach whose team is in the playoffs can’t meet in person until their team is eliminated.
Glenn is expected to be one of the most coveted head-coaching candidates on the market this offseason, with the 52-year-old DC reportedly requested for an interview by all six NFL teams with head-coaching openings, per Breer.
Here are three things to know about another intriguing Patriots coaching candidate in Glenn.
Success as the leader of a stingy Lions defense
While Johnson has drawn plenty of headlines for his work on the offensive side of the ball on Dan Campbell’s staff in Detroit, Glenn has arguably drawn greater results out of the Lions’ defensive unit, especially when factoring in injuries.
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Now in his fourth season as Lions DC, Glenn has run a Detroit defense that ranks seventh in the NFL in fewest points allowed in 2024 — even with the team playing a majority of the season without arguably its most talented defensive player in Aidan Hutchinson. Five other defensive starters also landed on injured reserve this season.
Glenn’s arrival in Detroit has seen the Lions develop a disciplined and physical defensive identity. After finishing 31st in the NFL in points allowed per game (27.5) in 2021, the Lions have made steady progress with each new season under Glenn.
Even with a potent pass-rusher in Hutchinson (7.5 sacks in five games) out for most of the 2024 season, the Lions rank second in the NFL in QB hurries per dropback at 10.7 percent and fourth overall in total QB pressures (179). Detroit also ranked 10th in the NFL in takeaways (24) — doubling up New England’s 12 takeaways in 2024.
“He’s as good of a coach as you’re going to find,” Campbell said of Glenn on Wednesday. “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.
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“I mean this guy is as good as they come. And he can do it all. He understands how to manage the game. He understands offense, defense, special teams. He knows how to communicate. He understands discipline of players. He’s motivating, man. He’s inspiring. I don’t want to lose him. But I also root for the guy, because I think he is a hell of a coach.”
An interesting road to Detroit
Before landing in Detroit, Glenn began his coaching career as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2014, joining the Saints as their defensive backs coach two years later. He stuck around in New Orleans through the 2020 season before joining Campbell’s staff in Detroit.
Prior to his time as an NFL coach, he worked as a personnel scout with the Jets from 2012-13. Before that, he was the general manager with the Houston Stallions of the Texas Lone Star Football League — an indoor football league primarily comprised of teams in Texas — in 2012.
A standout NFL career
Before making the switch to coaching, Glenn was a dynamic, ball-hawking cornerback in the NFL — earning three Pro Bowl nods over 15 seasons. He primarily played with the New York Jets and Houston Texans, working with Bill Belichick when he was serving as the Jets’ defensive coordinator from 1997-99.
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He was a part of two different NFL Drafts over his career, with the Jets selecting him 12th overall out of Texas A&M in the 1994 NFL Draft. After playing a key role in New York’s secondary for years, Glenn went third overall in the 2002 NFL Expansion Draft as a first defensive player selected by the Texans.
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