Exclusive: Aaron Glenn followed legend's advice, is ready to be Jets coach
ATLANTA – Maybe Aaron Glenn isn't a short time away from his debut as a rookie NFL head coach if he didn't follow through on some pertinent advice from Bill Parcells.
Be a scout.
That was not exactly what Glenn wanted to hear in 2012, four years after retiring from a stellar 15-year career as an NFL cornerback, when the bug hit him to try getting back in the league to pursue a coaching career.
'He told me that he wanted me to scout first, because I had a chance to be a head coach,' the New York Jets coach told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday. 'And to be a good head coach, you've got to understand personnel. So, listen, I did not want to do it at all. I wanted to go straight to coaching.
'But man, that was the best advice I could have gotten.'
And look at him now. Glenn, 52, worked as a scout for the Jets for two years before steadily climbing the NFL coaching ladder and bringing Parcells' prediction to life. In personnel, which included scouting the NFL and colleges, Glenn learned the nuances of every position, which goes so far in handling the evaluation business of his new job.
Let Parcells, the Hall of Famer who coached Glenn with the Jets and later with the Dallas Cowboys, tell us why he thinks this is such a big deal.
'I want to tell you one thing about him that I think is interesting,' Parcells told USA TODAY Sports during a phone interview, shortly after Glenn was hired. 'There are very few pro football players that when their football career is over, they're willing to go to another profession and start at the lowest level. But Aaron did that because he was trying to get the proper foundation. That one thing showed me that he was serious about being a coach.'
Glenn was at the Ozzie Newsome GM Forum hosted by the Black College Football Hall of Fame and supported by the NFL, part of a roundtable discussion that also featured Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles and Atlanta Falcons GM Terry Fontenot. That provided Glenn another reason to be nostalgic as he opened up to an audience that included several college coaches. Bowles was Glenn's crafty position coach for a year with the Jets and two seasons with the Cowboys. Fontenot shared much insight when he worked in the New Orleans Saints personnel department during the five seasons Glenn was the team's secondary coach.
It's no wonder that Glenn, reflecting on his rise, emphasized not cutting corners.
'I try to tell a lot of people: 'Don't miss a step,'' Glenn said. 'And that's not just in your process of becoming a head coach, but in the scheme of things in general. I've had an opportunity to hit a number of different parts of the NFL that a lot of people don't get a chance to. So, whatever it is as far as learning experience in this league, you've got to take it. Even though you might think it will slow you down from getting that next job, it's really helping you in that next job because you're getting valuable information.'
That mindset probably goes double as Glenn gets on with the task of trying to revitalize the franchise riding with the NFL's longest playoff drought at 14 seasons. Of course, these jobs generally open up for a reason and with the Jets, the calling card is instability. Glenn marks the sixth Jets coach since 2009. But at least he has been a first-hand witness to a stark turnaround, having a key role as the Detroit Lions transformed from an essential doormat to one of the NFL's most legitimate championship contenders over the past two seasons under coach Dan Campbell. It can indeed happen.
Perhaps he's perfect for this. Parcells calls him 'a tiger.' As a player, Glenn's tenacity made up for his slight stature at 5-foot, 9-inches. As a coach, that same aggressive flow endears him to players who vouch for his ability to relate. Something that veteran defensive end Za'Darius Smith said about Glenn earlier this year, as the Lions ramped up for their (very short) playoff run, summed up widespread sentiment.
'For a coach to relate to players, and players to relate to a coach who played for 15 years, it's like you want to listen,' Smith told USA TODAY Sports. 'You have that trust.'
Although the Lions were upset in their playoff opener, nearly a year after their collapse in the NFC title game, Glenn's stock rose on his ability to patch up an injury-ravaged unit to the point that Detroit earned the NFC's No. 1 seed. Fixing the Jets, 5-12 in 2024, is an entirely different animal. To which Glenn doesn't seem to even blink.
After all, he stepped into the NFL in 1994 as the Jets' first-round pick (12th overall) from Texas A&M.
'This is my third time around the horn with the Jets,' he said. 'It's fate. I was meant to have that job. Even though there are some things to work out, there is no other job that fits.'
Glenn surely has some nerve, casting the Jets as a dream job. We'll see. Glenn told reporters last week that 91% of players attended all of the offseason workout. Teamed with new general manager Darren Mougey, didn't bother to try it with Aaron Rodgers, and instead is rolling with former Steeler Justin Fields. Fate (and the NFL schedule-makers) lined up Pittsburgh and Rodgers for Glenn's debut on Sept. 7, so, no lack of interest.
But first things first. Training camp opens in five weeks.
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'I'm going to approach it just like I always have,' Glenn said. 'I want to be in the bunker with the players, meaning I want the players to know I'm in there with them. To me, that's what training camp is all about. That's when you'll begin to really build a foundation as a team.'
If Glenn's old school philosophy and desire for physicality is any indication, the Jets could be in for one of the NFL's most demanding camps. Glenn knows. The Lions were noted for their physical camps under Campbell.
Detroit's coach, who played with Glenn at A&M and coached with him on Sean Payton's staff in New Orleans, also gets a lot of credit from Glenn for preparing him to transition to this new opportunity. Campbell saw to it that Glenn handled some of the head coaching tasks, such as setting the camp practice schedule. That couldn't hurt. But…
'You know, when you become a head coach, it's not exactly what you thought it was,' Parcells said. 'I tell all the guys that I've worked with, when they start out, there are going to be five or six things that happen every day that you wish wouldn't happen. If you can't deal with that, then you need to find another business, because that's the way professional athletics are. There are things that happen and you just have to be willing to persevere and cope. I'm not trying to sound like this is some courageous undertaking. You get quite a bit of adversity along the way. You have to be prepared to deal with it.'
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That said, Parcells is excited about Glenn's chances to ultimately succeed because he believes that he is well prepared. After all, a dozen years ago, he took Parcells' career advice.
'When you're coaching, you're really teaching,' Parcells said. 'Communication is vital. You've got to figure out how to do that with your pupils. Listen, this kid, all I can say is he's prepared for the undertaking. Even with that, it never goes the way you think it's going to go. The boat's going to rock and there's going to be sharks in the water. I know he understands that. Even with the preparation, you can't expect the transition to be smooth. But I'm fired up for him.'
This is a sweet spot about now for Glenn. He hasn't lost a game. He hasn't been put on blast by the New York tabloids because of a controversial decision. He's relaxed, grateful for all of his mentors and eager to share insights with younger coaches.
In a few weeks, though, the grind will arrive. He may be a rookie coach, but he's been around the NFL long enough in other capacities to realize the pressure cooker that looms.
'I'm going to be around the players as much as possible,' Glenn said. 'They'll get to know me and I'll get to know them. But I want to make sure at this point that I spend as much time with my wife and kids as I can.'
Which represents another good move.
Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell
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