The Lions defense wasn’t great this season, but defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is wanted for a head coaching interview.
Despite having never been a coordinator before this year, and the undermanned Detroit Lions’ defense struggling the way it did at times (though with improvement late in the season), Aaron Glenn is a rising star in coaching circles and it’s inevitable he’ll be a head coach someday.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, as they launch their search to replace Vic Fangio, the Denver Broncos have requested an interview with the Lions’ defensive coordinator for their head coaching job.
Glenn interviewed with the New York Jets, the franchise that drafted him as a player in 1994, for their head coaching job a year ago before taking his current post in Detroit. He had spent the previous five seasons as the New Orleans Saints’ defensive backs coach, on the same staff as Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
Aaron Glenn has suggested he’s in no hurry to leave the Lions
Last week, when asked about his immediate future on the idea a new opportunity may come across his path, Glenn asserted his commitment to the Lions.
“I want to be the best coordinator the Lions ever had. That’s all I think about,” Glenn said. “…Listen, this is a job that I have right now, and I want to be the best I can be at it. And I want to be the best that ever came through Detroit. I want you guys to say that at some point, that he was the best coordinator ever. That’s what my goal is.”
It’s easy for a coach to say that in a moment like that one, and then he leaves for the promise of greener pastures without batting an eye. But those that cover the Lions see Glenn as a genuine article, seemingly committed to “finishing the job” of putting together a good defense in Detroit.
It’s worth noting the Broncos have requested an interview with Glenn, and the Lions can’t stand in the way since it’s for a promotion. Glenn could himself respectfully decline the opportunity though, as one of eight reported candidates Denver wants to talk to. But that’s pretty unlikely, even if the odds seem against him getting the job.