New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn on the field before the game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium
Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The New York Jets have elected to retain Aaron Glenn as head coach for the 2026 season. It was a disaster of a year for Glenn when he made his head coaching debut in 2025. But New York saw enough from the former star cornerback to give him another chance this upcoming season.
One shocking development from last season was the team's defense. Specifically, it was the fact that the Jets failed to intercept a single pass in 2025. Given Glenn's background in defensive coaching, this was something unfathomable at the beginning of the year. Ahead of the 2026 campaign, the Jets head coach identified one decision from a year ago he regrets in hindsight.
“I didn't call the defense last year. That was not a good decision by me,” Glenn said, via ESPN's Rich Cimini.
Before joining New York as coach, Glenn spent time coaching with the New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions. It was in Detroit that he became a hotly regarded head coaching candidate in the NFL. He helped lead the Lions to an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2023, as well as back-to-back division titles in 2023 and 2024.
Glenn's ties with the Jets run back further than his coaching stint, though. He was a star cornerback for them, beginning his playing career with the Jets in 1994. He played with New York until 2001, when he left to join the Houston Texans.
The Jets head coach is hoping for better fortunes in 2026. He has accepted the mistakes made in Year 1 and wants Year 2 to be a much better reflection of his growth as a coach. New York begins its 2026 campaign on September 13 against the Tennessee Titans.