Aaron Glenn and Ray Agnew in NFL’s coach and front office ‘accelerator’ program

At the NFL league meeting next week, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and assistant GM Ray Agnew will participate in a program meant to enhance their opportunities.

The NFL will gather for spring league meetings next week in Atlanta. There a first of its kind event, named the “Inaugural NFL Coach and Front Office Accelerator” program, will be focused on providing advice and resources to minority NFL employees with aspirations to be a head coach or a general manager. Each team will send at least one participant,

On the list of participants in the two-day seminar, which will happen on May 23-24, via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, is Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew.

Via the NFL’s press release:

"The program will provide senior women and minority prospects with leadership development sessions with football operations experts and facilitators, as well as time spent networking directly with club owners. The effort is designed to continue building a diverse hiring pipeline for future head coach and general manager positions throughout the League."

Aaron Glenn and Ray Agnew lined up to be a future head coach and general manager respectively

Glenn interviewed for not one but two head coaching jobs in the 2022 hiring cycle, first the Denver Broncos then the New Orleans Saints after Sean Payton’s retirement. A rising star in coaching circles, it’s only a matter of time before Glenn is a head coach.

Agnew spent 18 years in the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams’ organization, initially as a scout before eventually elevating to director of pro personnel in 2017. When Brad Holmes left the Rams to become the Lions’ general manager in 2021, he brought Agnew with him to be the assistant general manager. Holmes has said how valuable an asset Agnew is in helping lay out the organization’s vision from a personnel standpoint in Detroit.

As much as Glenn could become an NFL head coach in 2023, Agnew could very well land a general manager post himself. Next week’s networking opportunity should only help in those pursuits.