In a wide-ranging end-of-season news conference on Tuesday morning that was part post-mortem of the season just concluded and a preview of what is ahead, HC Aaron Glenn acknowledged that his first year as the head man was a learning experience but that "there's a clear vision" for where he and GM Darren Mougey want to take the team.
Part of that is a group of foundational players (for example, young tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou; WR Garrett Wilson; S Malachi Moore; and others), flexibility in terms of salary cap space to acquire suitable free agents, and the basket of draft capital that includes two selections in Round 1 (Nos. 2 and 16 overall) and two in Round 2 (Nos. 33 and 44).
"As a rookie head coach, and same thing as GM, man, going through the first year and really understanding the landscape of everything, that's a huge deal," Glenn said. "I will tell you that right now. And speaking on myself, man, there's a number of things that I know I will be better at. And again, I'm still doing the self-reflection, but I know for a fact there are a number of things, and the confidence that I have in Moug, the confidence I have in our owner [Woody Johnson], the confidence I have in myself, the confidence I have in some of the foundational players that we have, that's where the confidence really comes from."
The 53 players who will comprise the active roster come September will be markedly different from the players who started and finished the 2025 season. But just as there will be changes on the field, Glenn and Mougey will be tasked with hiring a defensive coordinator to oversee a unit that went a full season without getting an interception and allowed 503 points overall.
After the Jets' 40-28 loss at Jacksonville in Week 15, Glenn relieved Steve Wilks of his duties and named defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Chris Harris the interim defensive coordinator.
"When it comes to the coaches, man, I like to be aggressive," Glenn said. "I want to make sure that whoever the guy that we do have in, that there's a lot of synergy between me and that coach. And I'm not saying there wasn't synergy between me and Wilks, it's just I want to make sure as I go through this process that's not a step that I don't miss. And it will be a number of coaches that we will take a look at, and Moug will be a huge part of that because I do respect his opinion and he has a good eye just for talent in general. I want to make sure that there's collaboration between all of us, and we just want to get the best guy.
"Personally, as far as fit, as far as how I see defense being played, all those things are huge because, and I've said this before, compatibility is just as important as coachability. So, I want to make sure we see things the same and I want to make sure that we can vibe as sitting down talking about how we see football also."
Glenn said that he plans to sit down with all of the Jets' current coaches to discuss their performance this past season and brainstorm about the future. And while both the defense and the offense struggled at times, the shining bright spot was special teams under the direction of Chris Banjo.
"I think in this business you're always looking to add good people, that can be your roster, that can be your staff," Glenn said. "I'm sure Moug will say the same thing with the personnel, you're always looking to add good people. Whoever you can add that will add value to your organization, man, you always look at that."
And although Wilks brought experience as a head coach (Arizona in 2018) and an assistant at various levels (including DC with Cleveland in 2019 and San Francisco in 2023), Glenn said he still has to decide between a guy with experience in that position or lean more toward a good fit on a personal level.
"That's what I'm actually really evaluating as I go through that is making sure that I am really thorough on whoever that guy is," he said. "Is it an experienced guy that's done it before or is it a guy that hasn't and do I trust the fact that he can do it? And to me, that's something I just don't sit up here and say that right now, that I go through the whole process and make sure that the answers that I'm really getting from that whole evaluation will be good enough answers to where I can pick this guy and say, 'OK he's going to be a guy that can do it.' "
And as he did on Sunday night after the Jets' 35-8 loss at Buffalo to end the season with a 3-14 record, Glenn took personal responsibility for his team's performance.
"I put a lot of it on me as far as just the wins and losses," he said. "And I would just, I will really say it like that. I put a lot of it on me, on the wins and losses, and I have to do a better job, and I'm not going to sit here and blame it on the roster, I'm not going sit here and blame it on the coaching staff.
"I'm going to blame it on the guy that's sitting right in front of you and I got to do a better job and I'm always [going to] say that."
