Even before Sunday night's master class in game-planning against the Minnesota Vikings' offense, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was going to be very in-demand for head coaching interviews when the process could start.
So it was no surprise on Monday morning when ESPN's Adam Schefter reported three teams were expected to put in requests to interview Glenn for their head coaching openings. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported two (the Chicago Bears and the New York Jets ) had submitted their requests to interview Glenn.
Tuesday morning, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the Bears, Jets and New Orleans Saints will interview Glenn this week, starting on Thursday and going through Saturday, while also reporting a fourth team that will interview the Lions' defensive coordinator.
With the playoff bye week, #Lions DC Aaron Glenn will begin his interviews on Thursday, spreading them out through Saturday. He has #Jets, #Saints, #Bears, and #Jaguars -- all virtual, per rules.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 7, 2025
Glenn has close ties to the Jets and Saints. He was drafted by the Jets in 1994, and spent the first eight seasons of his playing career there. He a;lso got his start on a post-playing career as a pro scout with the Jets. Former Jets general manage Mike Tannebaum, who is now helping the Jets with their general manager and head coaching searches as part of his work for The 33rd Team, was the man that hired Glenn for that role.
Glenn spent his final season as a player with the Saints, and he spent five seasons as the Saints' defensive backs coach before following Dan Campbell to Detroit.
Glenn interviewed for the Saints and Jets' head coaching jobs the last time they were open, and each team's easy to discern interest in him has now been fully confirmed. According to NFL reporter Josina Anderson, Glenn will interview with the Saints on Friday.
Aaron Glenn has a full interview slate in a shorter window of time
By rule, assistant coaches on the playoff teams who have a first-round bye can do virtual interviews for head coaching jobs starting Wednesday through next Monday, Jan. 13, the completion of the Wild Card Round. Rapoport also reported it, essentially, but Albert Breer of SI.com more concretely reported the Lions have given Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson a window to do head coaching interviews from Thursday afternoon through Saturday.
The Lions have given OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn a window from Thursday afternoon through Saturday to do head coaching interviews, per sources. All those, by rule, have to be virtual.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 7, 2025
(As we’ve said, Johnson will be selective, and may only interview with Chicago and NE.)
Teams have to allow their assistant coaches to be interviewed for a promotion, but they can limit the time window for those coaches to do so and the Lions have apparently immediately done that with their two very in-demand coordinators. So Glenn's full interview docket this week (four and counting?) will be done in the span of about 48 hours.
Update, Jan. 8, 10:55 a.m. ET: Breer has reported Glenn's interview schedule. Per Breer, the Las Vegas Raiders have submitted an interview request for Glenn.
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will interview with the @NYJets tomorrow, the @Saints on Friday (as we said previously), and then the @Jaguars and @ChicagoBears on Saturday. Glenn's become one of the hottest names on the market—and rightfully so.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 8, 2025
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