Detroit Lions will hire defensive coach Aaron Glenn of the New Orleans Saints as defensive coordinator for the NFL Network Ian Rapoport is reporting.
Glenn was the 12th overall choice in the 1994 NFL draft for the New York Jets. He would play in the league for 15 years and was recognized with three nods in the Pro Bowl.
After retirement, his first step back into the league was as a scout for the New York Jets during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. In 2014, he joined the Browns as assistant coach of defenders before joining Saints in 2016 as coach of defenders. , where he spent the last five seasons.
Glenn and the man who should be the next Lions coach, Dan Campbell, have trained together in the past five years in New Orleans, but their relationship is older than that, as they played together for the Dallas Cowboys in 2006 and both are also ex Texas A&M students.
Bill Parcells was the Cowboys’ coach in 2006, and Campbell and Glenn’s coaching roots come from his influence.
Glenn is known as a coach who is constantly trying to learn and grow as a professional. In addition to seeking advice from Parcells, Glenn spends time off-season learning from other defensive coaches.
Glenn has turned the Saints’ secondary into one of the most complete units in the NFL, and Lions will certainly be looking for him to bring that depth of knowledge to improve the secondary as well.