Now with a full state of requests to interview him, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn got a fresh endorsement of his head coaching acumen from Dan Campbell earlier this week.
"Aaron Glenn is as good a coach as you’re going to find, he’s an even better human being,” Campbell said on Tuesday. “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. This guy’s as good as they come. He can do it all. He understands how to manage a game. He understands offense, defense, special teams. He knows how to communicate. He understands discipline of players. And he’s motivated, he’s inspiring. I don’t want to lose him, but I also root for the guy because I think he’s a hell of a coach.”
Glenn is easy to tab as a top candidate for two of the head coaching jobs he's interviewing for. He has deep ties to both franchises, and their strong interest in him is easy to the point of being obvious. It will come down to if he wants those jobs, and of course what other candidates those teams are entertaining.
Aaron Glenn receives strong endorsement for head coaching job he's seen as favorite to get
Glenn probably doesn't need a big endorsement for the head coaching job he's widely seen as the favorite to get before he, according to NFL reporter Josina Anderson, interviews for it on Friday. But he has gotten one anyway.
Such as he might be involved as the next head coach there is chosen, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees made his top choice for the job public this week.
"The first guy who comes to my mind is Aaron Glenn,” Brees said, via Crissy Froyd of Saints Wire. “Arguably, one of the greatest defensive backs to ever play the game. I played against him, I was a teammate of his too. He’s a leader of men. He garners a ton of respect. He knows the game. He is highly competitive."
"He’s great interacting with players, and is an exceptional teacher,” Brees continued. “I think he would put together a great staff as well that will come out and continue to accentuate New Orleans currently has in the locker room with his talent.”
Brees was the Saints' quarterback all five seasons (2016-2020) when Glenn was the team's defensive backs coach, as he hinted Glenn spent his final season (2008) as a player with the Saints during Brees' long tenure under center in New Orleans. So he knows Glenn well.
Brees doesn't have an official job in the Saints' organization, but his public endorsement of Glenn to be the next head coach should not be considered meaningless. He quite possibly has conveyed the same sentiment to people in the organization (like general manager Mickey Loomis), giving Glenn's already strong candidacy for the job a boost.