Tag: Aaron Glenn

Report: Jets request interview with Aaron Glenn, Saints DB coach & ex-Gang Green CB

The Jets formally requested to interview one of their own in Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn on Thursday.

Add a familiar name to the Jets’ list of potential candidates.

New York put in a request to interview Saints secondary coach and former NFL cornerback Aaron Glenn, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The interview will have to take place next week following the Saints’ playoff game against the Bears this weekend.

Glenn is an up and coming candidate in league circles and has been praised for the job he’s done with New Orleans’ secondary, which has become one of the better units in the NFL.

Glenn played cornerback for the Jets from 1994-2001. He is one of the better cornerbacks in franchise history, and a popular one at that. He also played for the Texans, Cowboys, Jaguars and Saints.

After a brief stint with the Jets as a personnel scout from 2012-13, Glenn got his start in coaching. He served as the Browns assistant defensive backs coach from 2014-15 before taking the role he currently has with the Saints, which he’s had since 2016.

Having played under Bill Parcells and coached under Sean Payton, Glenn is certainly a unique candidate who has learned from two CEO-type head coaches.

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Report: Jets request head coach interview with Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn

The New York Jets have requested an interview with New Orleans Saints assistant Aaron Glenn for their open head coach position, per report.

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Here’s a huge opportunity for New Orleans Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the New York Jets have filed a formal interview request for Glenn in their search for a new head coach. Glenn, a 48-year old former cornerback, started his NFL career with the Jets back in 1994 and has been coaching the New Orleans secondary since 2016. He also worked in the Jets front office as a personnel scout in 2012 and 2013.

Glenn could be a good get for New York. He’s well-liked by his players and has done a good job getting production out of undrafted rookies and journeymen over the years like Ken Crawley, De’Vante Harris, and Grant Haley (who bagged his first career interception in his first game with the Saints last week). While the Saints secondary has funneled penalty yards to opponents for pass-interference fouls, they’ve always played competitive football.

So this is a situation worth monitoring. The Saints blocked the Cincinnati Bengals from interviewing Glenn for their defensive coordinator opening back in 2019, and the New York Giants went in a different direction after interviewing him for the same post in 2020. While Big Blue offered Glenn a larger role than he’s seen in New Orleans, he’s continued to have his eye on a bigger prize. And if things go his way, he could land it just across town from the Giants that passed on him.

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6 Saints coaches, staffers who should get buzz in the NFL’s next hiring cycle

The Saints could lose important members of the organization when the 2021 NFL hiring cycle kicks off, from Terry Fontenot to Dennis Allen.

Could this be the year the New Orleans Saints start to lose personnel to rival teams? With coaching staffs and front offices around the league already preparing for turnover in the offseason, it seems likely. Somehow half a dozen teams interviewed Saints assistants last year without hiring any of them away. Expect that to change as new opportunities present themselves to the people working behind the scenes in New Orleans that are hungry for more high-profile jobs in the NFL.

Others, like offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., haven’t shown as keen an interest; his interview for the Packers job last offseason was just the third time he’s seriously considered an opportunity with another team in 12 years with the Saints, having interviewed for head coaching positions with the Raiders and Bears in 2012 and 2013, respectively. It’s possible he puts his name out there again in 2021, but there appear to be other, more ambitious candidates in New Orleans. Here are six names we’ll be watching closely:

Saints DBs coach Aaron Glenn on how his secondary can overcome injuries

New Orleans Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn is working hard to prepare P.J. Williams and Patrick Robinson to play against the Lions

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When the New Orleans Saints kick off with the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday, they’ll do so without either of their starting cornerbacks. Both Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins are sidelined with injuries, prompting the Saints to dig deep into their practice squad for reinforcements — even calling up Ken Crawley, just in case.

But Crawley shouldn’t be starting. Realistically, he shouldn’t even get on the field. The Saints have a pair of veteran backups in place to call on with P.J. Williams and Patrick Robinson, plus special teams stud Justin Hardee. And their safeties play so often that there may not be enough snaps to go around for a reserve like Crawley.

So the expectations on Williams and Robinson will be high. Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn is feeling the pressure, too; in his eyes, it’ll take a team effort to help make up for not having his starters out on the field.

“I will say this, [Williams and Robinson] have to be comfortable in who they are and their techniques and what makes them successful,” Glenn told NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. “It’s my job to make sure they’re put in position to be successful.”

The pair have combined for just 47 snaps on defense in three games so far, though Williams has predominately lined up at safety after making the conversion in training camp. They have both played their best football when lined up in the slot, but that job belongs to C.J. Gardner-Johnson (who has covered 77 routes from the slot this year, leading the team). So there should be adjustments for Williams and Robinson both, which isn’t inspiring confidence in many fans. But they’re still the best options for New Orleans.

Last year, when asked by Nola.com’s Amie Just, Glenn joked that he might be able to make it work with backup quarterback Taysom Hill.

“I would love to have him back there. I just need a week with him and he could go out there and play safety for us. He’s played everything else, so,” Glenn trailed off.

But it won’t be Hill lining up against Lions receivers on Sunday. It won’t be Lattimore or Jackrabbit, either. Williams and Robinson have played enough games in the NFL to reach a point where their coaches don’t have anything new to teach them. At this stage, it’s just like Glenn said — the Saints must put their players in the best spots to win, and the players have to win their matchups.

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Saints assistant coach Leigh Torrence leaves for job with Jets DC Gregg Williams

New Orleans Saints assistant coach Leigh Torrence joined the New York Jets for a job with Gregg Williams, his old defensive coordinator.

The New York Jets announced Tuesday that they hired Leigh Torrence for their vacant assistant defensive backs coach job, creating another hole on the New Orleans Saints coaching staff; the Saints have yet to name a replacement for linebackers coach Mike Nolan, who left for the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator gig back in early January.

Torrence was first hired by the Saints as a coach back in 2016, when he joined their staff as a coaching intern. He was promoted to a defensive assistant coaching position in 2017, and held it through 2019. Before that, he played three years for the Saints from 2009 to 2011. He appeared in more games for the Saints (38) than any other team, which included stops with the Washington Redskins (25) and Atlanta Falcons (10).

Now, Torrence is reunited with the defensive coordinator he once played for in New Orleans: Gregg Williams. Williams holds the same position with the Jets beneath head coach Adam Gase, and this is a great opportunity for Torrence to continue to advance his career.

But why didn’t he stay with the Saints? There probably wasn’t room for promotion in New Orleans, where defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn has been developed as a key member of their staff. He’s commonly grouped with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and head coach Sean Payton during games, and has rebuffed offers from both the New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals in recent years. With Glenn so entrenched, Torrence probably had to consider other opportunities, and the Jets were a logical fit.

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It’s about time Steve Atwater made the Hall of Fame

Steve Atwater wasn’t known for this time with the Jets but still had a long and fruitful career in the defensive backfield.

It took 16 years, but “The Smiling Assassin” will finally grin forever in Canton.

Steve Atwater, the former Broncos and Jets safety, joined the class of 2020 as a Pro Football Hall of Famer 21 years after he retired from the league. Atwater made his hay as one of the hardest hitting safeties of the 1990s, terrifying offenses at the line of scrimmage and stopping even the mightiest of running backs.

Though he only played one nondescript season with the Jets, Atwater rightfully deserved the Hall of Fame induction after 16 years of eligibility and three as a finalist. Atwater retired the year after he signed with the Jets as a free agent in 1999, a season in which he only played 12 games and tallied just 63 total tackles and one forced fumble.

Atwater didn’t bring pain and terror to the Jets defense, but he racked up stats and accolades during his 10-year career with the Broncos. He earned eight Pro Bowl nods, two All-Pro selections, won two Super Bowls and registered 1,000 tackles, 24 interceptions, five sacks, five forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries.

The Broncos used Atwater the way a lot of big-bodied safeties play now – at the line of scrimmage. There, he crushed running backs and played a pivotal role in the Broncos’ run defense. Two moments encapsulate Atwater’s career: His devastating hit on Chiefs running back Christian Okoye and his dominating performance in Super Bowl XXXII.

Atwater somehow derailed Okoye in Week 2 of the 1990 season, a feat now many could accomplish given Okoye’s 6-foot-1, 260-pound frame. At 6-foot-3, 218 pounds, Atwater proved himself up to the task. Atwater played a pivotal role in the Broncos’ first of two consecutive Super Bowl wins. He terrorized the Green Bay Packers offense in Super Bowl XXXII with six solo tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. 

Once his career concluded in Denver, Atwater joined the Bill Parcells-led Jets in 1999. Atwater played alongside Victor Green in the deep secondary with cornerbacks Marcus Coleman and Aaron Glen on the outside. The Jets went 8-8 in Parcells’ first year in New York and Atwater finished sixth on the team in total tackles with 63.

Atwater paved the way for safeties like Ed Reed, Brian Dawkins and Landon Collins to become staples of the defenses as imposing defensive backs. He won’t be remembered for his time with the Jets, but Atwater’s career as a whole certainly deserved Hall of Fame recognition.

Report: Saints DB’s coach Aaron Glenn turned down ‘enhanced role’ with Giants

The New York Giants were unable to reach an agreement with New Orleans Saints coach Aaron Glenn on an ‘enhanced role’ under Patrick Graham.

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It’s been a busy offseason for New Orleans Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn. He was courted by the New York Giants as a defensive coordinator earlier in January, but was passed over in favor of Patrick Graham, the Miami Dolphins coordinator who previously worked with first-year Giants coach Joe Judge when they were on Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots staff.

However, that wasn’t the end of negotiations between Glenn and the Giants. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Glenn discussed “an enhanced role” with Big Blue, but opted to remain with the Saints. The details of that role are unclear; it’s possible Glenn may have been offered some sort of passing-game coordinator role, a distinction used by some teams to split responsibilities and keep sometimes-overqualified coaches in the building.

Glenn, 47, has risen to prominence in New Orleans after helping build a competitive secondary largely made up of undrafted free agents (such as Ken Crawley and De’Vante Harris), ex-Giants cornerbacks (Eli Apple and Janoris Jenkins), and a few high draft picks (Vonn Bell, Marshon Lattimore, and Marcus Williams among them). Last offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals tried to interview Glenn, but the Saints declined their request. It feels like Glenn will move on to a larger role with a new team sooner or later.

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Report: Giants interview Derek Dooley, Aaron Glenn for staff positions

The New York Giants met with both former Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley and New Orleans Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn on Wednesday.

New York Giants head coach Joe Judge, who is hard at work in Mobile, Alabama at the Senior Bowl, managed to break away from the action for a bit on Wednesday to interview two new potential coaching staff candidates.

Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports that the Giants met with both former University of Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley and New Orleans Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn.

Judge interviewed former University of Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley on Wednesday, according to a source. Dooley filled a variety of roles, including tight ends coach, on Saban’s staff at LSU from 2000-04. He then joined Saban’s staff with the Dolphins as tight ends coach from 2005-06.

. . .

Aaron Glenn interviewed for a position with the Giants on Wednesday, according to a source. It’s not exactly clear what position Glenn interviewed for, but it’s a safe bet that it would be in the secondary.

The Giants are currently without a tight ends coach — a job that could go to Freddie Kitchens if he’s ultimately hired — but do have a new defensive backs coach in Jerome Henderson, so it’d be curious to see what the team may have in mind for Glenn.

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Report: Giants pass on Saints coach Aaron Glenn, hire Patrick Graham as DC

Joe Judge and the New York Giants passed on New Orleans Saints coach Aaron Glenn to hire Patrick Graham as their new defensive coordinator.

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It almost looked like the New Orleans Saints would lose another important piece of their coaching staff, but for now, defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn will remain in black and gold. The team already lost linebackers coach Mike Nolan to the Dallas Cowboys (where he’ll work as defensive coordinator beneath head coach Mike McCarthy), so this is some good news for Saints fans.

Glenn was one of two candidates reported to be considered for the open defensive coordinator job under first-year Giants head coach Joe Judge, along with Miami Dolphins coordinator Patrick Graham (who worked alongside Judge previously with the New England Patriots). However, Glenn will not even get to interview for the position.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Graham would indeed be the new Giants defensive coordinator, having interviewed with Big Blue this weekend. The Dolphins intend to promote from within the organization, so it doesn’t appear Glenn will be jumping ship for Miami.

Continuity is important, and Glenn has done a good job helping scout, develop, and prepare a very young defensive secondary in his first few years on the job. Few groups have performed better around the league during his tenure. Considering their long list of pending free agents, the fewer organizational changes the Saints have to make this offseason, the better.

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Report: Saints coach Aaron Glenn being considered for Giants DC

New Orleans Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn is reportedly being considered for New York Giants defensive coordinator under Joe Judge.

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The New Orleans Saints have already lost one important defensive assistant when the Dallas Cowboys hired away linebackers coach Mike Nolan, and New Orleans could risk losing another big part of their success in defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn.

Per a report from the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz, the New York Giants are considered Glenn for their open defensive coordinator position beneath first-year head coach Joe Judge. The Giants have already requested an interview with Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, so Glenn would be their second option.

Glenn’s role with the Saints has centered around helping scout and develop young defensive backs like Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Williams, Eli Apple, J.T. Gray, and Justin Hardee, much like Nolan did with the linebackers. Under Glenn’s tutelage, the Saints went on to field one of the league’s better secondaries in 2019, with Williams ranking among NFL leaders with four interceptions. His loss would be big, to say the least.

And other teams have tried to lure him away before. Last offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals requested an interview with Glenn, which the Saints blocked. No official request from the Giants has been filed just yet, but it’s very possible the Saints lose more assistants in the coming weeks as coaching staffs are built around the league.

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