FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells sounded like a proud dad when he was talking about Aaron Glenn and his methodical rise through the coaching ranks. In mid-gush, Parcells paused and asked a question about the New York Jets.
"Have they named a GM yet?" he asked Wednesday afternoon, shortly after word leaked that the Jets had reached an agreement to make Glenn their next head coach.
No GM yet.
"That's important for Aaron," Parcells said of his former player, whom he coached with the Jets and Dallas Cowboys. "I'm hopeful he gets somebody he can work with."
It's a critical piece to the puzzle. Coach-GM synergy is an absolute must for an organization to be successful.
It's certainly unconventional to hire the coach before the GM. When it happens, it always raises questions about power structure and compatibility. The question marks get bigger if two strangers are paired together.
In the past, the Jets have failed at matchmaking, most notably in 2019 with coach Adam Gase and GM Mike Maccagnan. The friction was so bad that the marriage lasted only four months, ending when Maccagnan was fired after the draft.
This time, the Jets' coach and GM searches appeared to be on parallel tracks, but that changed Wednesday when it was revealed that the plan was to continue the interview process with GM candidates. Cincinnati Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown and Denver Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey were booked for second interviews, league sources said. Brown is scheduled to arrive Thursday in Florham Park.
It was widely assumed that Glenn and Washington Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark were a package deal. After all, they worked together for three years with the Detroit Lions, and both were present Tuesday at the team facility for second interviews. Newmark was the first GM candidate to get a second (in-person) interview.
Glenn got hired since, while Newmark has not as of now. He remains a candidate, according to a team source, but it certainly appears as if the Jets have shifted their focus to Brown and Mougey, two of the original 15 candidates that were interviewed.
What happened with Newmark? Did a better opportunity come along? There's only one other GM vacancy -- with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who parted ways Wednesday with Trent Baalke. One league source speculated that Newmark could become a candidate in Jacksonville, which also needs a coach.
As for the Jets, their timeline got expedited when the Lions were unexpectedly bounced from the playoffs last Saturday night. Suddenly, Glenn was available for hire. They had to move quickly because the New Orleans Saints were lurking. The Jets got it done with a five-year contract, reuniting with their former star cornerback.
Next, the Jets must find the right fit for Glenn. It's a traditional GM job, with the GM having final say on the roster and personnel decisions. In essence, Glenn will be involved in the hiring of his boss.
He hasn't worked with Mougey or Brown, neither of whom has GM experience, but know this: Glenn and Brown have been friends for a couple of years. They were introduced by former Jets scout Michael Davis, now the Jaguars' director of college scouting. One league source said Glenn is "very comfortable" with Brown, 39, who is considered a rising executive in the league.
"A future star," the source said.
Brown was a scout for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles and was the Eagles' director of college scouting from 2016 to 2018. He left the NFL for two years to work as an executive in the Alliance of American Football and XFL before joining the Bengals in 2021. Prior to this year, he interviewed for at least three GM jobs.
Mougey, 39, has worked for the Broncos his entire career, rising from scout to assistant GM. He, too, is well-respected; he helped assemble a roster that includes four All-Pros this season, all of whom were drafted between 2021 and 2023.
Mougey has an indirect connection to Glenn -- Broncos coach Sean Payton, Glenn's former boss with the Saints. Glenn and Payton have remained close, and it's likely that Payton put in a good word.
As for their new coach, the Jets made a big move by going with Glenn, who was one of the hottest names in the coaching pool, but now they have to find him a match at GM.
"I'm excited for Aaron," Parcells said. "I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes. There's a lot that goes into it."