FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets' defense, one of the NFL's best in 2022 and 2023, crumbled this season to a historically poor level. The first step toward rebuilding it will come soon, as coach Aaron Glenn mulls eight known candidates for his defensive coordinator vacancy heading into Year 2.
Glenn, who fired Steve Wilks with three games remaining in the season, is looking for a coach with a likeminded philosophy. He wants an aggressive mentality, meaning pressure-based schemes.
It's no coincidence that six of the seven NFL assistants who interviewed for the position are with teams that ranked in the top 14 in blitz percentage. The one candidate from college is Wink Martindale, most recently Michigan's defensive coordinator but known for years as a high-level blitzer during his time as an NFL coordinator.
"Compatibility is just as important as coachability," Glenn said, explaining what he wants in his next coordinator. "I want to make sure we see things the same way, and I want to make sure that we can vibe as far as sitting down and talking about how we see football also."
Nine of the top 13 snap leaders are under contract for 2026 -- the notable exception being linebacker Quincy Williams -- but don't be misled into thinking the Jets are in a good place, defensively. They finished 31st in scoring, 25th in yards and set all-time NFL futility marks for interceptions (zero) and takeaways (four).
It's a tough job, and there might not be a lot of security, based on the perception that Glenn might be on the hot seat in 2026 after a 3-14 rookie season. Nevertheless, he spoke virtually with eight candidates in the first round of interviews, according to the team.
Next up is a round of in-person interviews with one or more finalists. The only candidate still alive in the playoffs is former Jets safety Jim Leonhard, the Denver Broncos' assistant head coach/passing game coordinator.
Let's break down the field:
Is there any early favorite?
Probably Martindale, who has seven years of coordinator experience with the Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants. He presided over top-tier units with the Ravens (2018 to 2021).
His defense was good enough to help the 2022 Giants advance to the divisional round of the playoffs, although their defensive EPA (Expected Points Added) was only 28th. (In fact, Martindale hasn't fielded a top-10 unit in EPA since 2020.) He reportedly had a falling out with then-coach Brian Daboll, leading to his departure after the 2023 season.
The '23 Giants tied for the league lead with 31 takeaways, which has to intrigue the turnover-starved Jets. Glenn jumped on Martindale early, interviewing him before the Jets' season ended. They have no previous working experience together, which raises the compatibility issue. We're talking about two Type A personalities, which would make for an interesting dynamic.
Do any other candidates have previous experience as an NFL coordinator?
So far, Detroit Lions safeties coach Jim O'Neil and Green Bay Packers defensive line coach/run game coordinator DeMarcus Covington do.
Covington was a longtime New England Patriots assistant under Bill Belichick who was promoted to coordinator in 2024 -- the year Patriots fans would like to pretend never happened. They finished 4-13 under Jerod Mayo, who was fired after only one season.
O'Neil served as a coordinator in two places, the Cleveland Browns (2014-2015) and San Francisco 49ers (2016), neither of which turned out well. His defenses finished in the bottom-third in scoring and yards in all three seasons. Interesting side note: He was on Rex Ryan's Jets staff from 2009 to 2012.
Let's not forget about Chris Harris, who became the Jets' interim coordinator when Wilks was fired. He, too, interviewed for the vacancy. If Glenn opts for Harris, which would be a surprise, it likely will mean he'd take a greater role in the defense than he did last season. If Glenn lands on a veteran coach such as Martindale, he'd presumably let him run his own show.
Who are the names to watch if Glenn prefers someone he knows from a previous job?
Start with O'Neil. They overlapped in two places -- Detroit and Cleveland. In fact, Glenn worked under O'Neil in Cleveland, serving as the assistant defensive backs coach in 2014 and 2015 -- his first two years as an NFL assistant.
One of the safeties on that 2014 Browns team was Leonhard, now a fast riser in the coaching ranks. He could emerge as a real factor for the Jets.
The former Wisconsin defensive coordinator has only two seasons of NFL coaching experience, but he has rubbed elbows with some influential people -- former Broncos executive and current Jets general manager Darren Mougey and Broncos coach Sean Payton, one of Glenn's closest confidants.
Leonhard could have options, though. He also interviewed for the Dallas Cowboys' coordinator vacancy, and he could be in line to replace Broncos coordinator Vance Joseph, if Joseph leaves for a head coaching job.
What about the other candidates?
The hot name is Daronte Jones, the Minnesota Vikings' passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach. The former LSU coordinator spent the past three seasons under coordinator Brian Flores, who runs the most aggressive defense in the league. Jones also has attracted interest from the Cowboys, Giants and Packers, and he could be the Vikings' choice if Flores moves on to a head job.
The other candidates are Miami Dolphins cornerbacks coach Matt Araujo and Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda, both of whom are relatively light on NFL experience but could emerge as candidates for other positions on the staff.
Could the best coordinator candidate already be in the building?
We're talking about Glenn, who became a hot head coaching candidate last year because of his work as the Lions' defensive coordinator. Some head coaches prefer to call their own plays; Glenn opted for the CEO approach. He got more involved late in the year to help Harris in his new role, but it sounds like he will revert to the original plan.
"I really felt like this first year -- and, who knows, maybe years to come -- that I want to really do a good job of managing the team and making sure that I have my hands on the offense, defense and the special teams," Glenn said. "I think it's been valuable for me, to be honest with you."