On TexAgs Live, former Texas A&M football player and current Athletic Director of Austin ISD Jason Glenn joined the show to speak on life in enemy territory, what he expects in Year 2 of the Mike Elko era and his brother Aaron Glenn as head coach of the New York Jets.
Key notes from Jason Glenn interview
It's been 10 months since I’ve been in Austin. It's a transition. It's a little different from Houston and College Station. People have been nice and welcoming here. My family is here in the hill country with its beautiful scenery.
In Lake Travis, we love it. I have a family of deer that comes into our backyard. They’re on our grocery bill here. I just go out, relax and enjoy the peace.
My high school coach kind of put that notion into my future of wanting to help our next generation. Of course, Coach R.C. Slocum would give one of those speeches, and it would start “OK guys,” and you hear that one of them is coming. It inspired me to go in his direction.
I'll tell you it's been a very quick and great relationship with the community and a very big district, and I’ve always wanted a big one to lead. I have a lot of friends and support my vision for Austin athletics.
My wife said yesterday, “You see all these cars with Longhorns on the back.” I say, “Yeah, but in College Station, you see the exact same thing.” They support their school with a lot of success, but I bleed maroon wherever I'm at. There are a lot more Aggies in Austin than you think. It's all fun and great people. Texas has great people, and of course, my Aggies are great.
There’s a sense of pride in Aggieland. They let me hear it this last year. A couple tried to finagle the score, and I’m like, “The score wasn’t what you think it was,” but again, it's good banter, and it causes great conversations.
I'm an Aggie through and through, and I bleed Maroon, but I'm also a realist. We have a great opportunity to do something special. I went to a couple of practices and saw the guys. I wanted to see Mike Elko and his great vision. He has an amazing vision, and now, the accountability, hard work and the blue collar mentality are the thing that makes Aggies, Aggies. He's bringing that. I'm a defensive guy and love what he's bringing. I think Collin Klein is getting better and settling the quarterback. I think we can make some noise.
I'm a hybrid. I played defensive end, linebacker and safety, and I’m blessed to play at different levels and have knowledge of all three areas. When we tell our kids as coaches, wherever you want me to play, the coach I’ll play.
I think with Elko, it's new. One thing I do believe is that he is more focused on the culture than winning games. As a coach, I think that's the most important thing. You establish the culture and dedication in everything you do on and off the field. The off-the-field aspect is just as important as on the field, with no distractions and a sense of community. Once you establish that, I know everything will fall in line. He's doing a great job instilling a culture of being proud of tradition at A&M. Everything will be higher.
Seeing my brother Aaron Glenn in New York has been amazing. He deserves it, and he went through proper challenges and worked. Our dad instilled it in us.
Aaron's doing a phenomenal job. That is my brother's book, and he understands that. I love my book that I'm writing, and he's writing his book.
If you believe what you believe in, there’s no reason not to speak with confidence. Aaron's a leader who has always been that way, and it starts with my parents. They helped so much, and they are “thermostat people.” Set the temperature in the room.
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