Patriots request interview with Aaron Glenn for head-coaching job
FOXBORO -- The New England Patriots would like to speak with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn about their head-coaching vacancy. The Patriots put in a request to interview Glenn on Wednesday, according to NFL Insider Albert Breer.
It's unclear when Glenn will interview with the Patriots, but it will have to be done virtually this weekend because the Lions are in the NFL playoffs. The Patriots are set to interview Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on Friday.
Mike Vrabel is viewed as the favorite to land the Patriots job, and will interview with the team in-person on Thursday. But Robert Kraft said Monday that the team would interview a number of candidates for the position, and Glenn will bring a good resume to the table.
Glenn is the fifth candidate to be connected to the Patriots, after the team interviewed Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton on Tuesday.
Aaron Glenn's NFL coaching career
Glenn, 52, has been Detroit's defensive coordinator for the last three seasons and has overseen the Lions rise to being a Top 10 NFL defense. Detroit was seventh in the NFL in points allowed in 2024, surrendering 20.1 points per game, after sitting in the bottom third of the league in the previous two seasons.
Glenn has been coaching in the NFL since 2014, when he started as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Cleveland Browns. He held that role for two seasons, and then spent five years with the New Orleans Saints as the team's defensive backs coach.
Aaron Glenn's NFL playing career
Glenn's defensive acumen comes from his 15-year playing career as a cornerback. He was drafted 12th overall by the New York Jets in 1994 after a stellar career at Texas A&M, which earned him a spot in the school's Hall of Fame.
Glenn played eight seasons for the Jets, including three seasons Bill Belichick when he was New York's defensive coordinator. He made two of his three Pro Bowls with the Jets.
The Houston Texans took him in the expansion draft in 2002, and Glenn made his third Pro Bowl in his first season with the team. He also had stints with the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New Orleans Saints, and finished his career with 41 interceptions -- six of which he brought back for touchdowns -- and five forced fumbles.