One of Dan Campbell’s first hires is leaving the Detroit Lions.

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the New York Jets, the team announced Wednesday evening. Glenn’s departure comes two days after offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left for the Chicago Bears, setting the table for what will be an offseason of change for a Lions team that just set a franchise record for wins (15) and won its second consecutive NFC North title.

The Jets went 5-12 this season, including a 2-3 record under former coach Robert Saleh, who was fired in October, and a 3-9 run under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich. Notable pieces on the roster include quarterback Aaron Rodgers, receivers Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams, defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner.

Glenn, 52, is returning to the organization where he began his playing career; the former defensive back spent eight seasons in New York after being selected No. 12 overall in the 1994 NFL Draft. Glenn made the Pro Bowl twice and tallied 24 interceptions in his Jets tenure, which spanned 121 games.

“He’s as good a coach as you’re going to find,” Campbell said of Glenn earlier this month. “He’s an even better human being. Look, if nobody wants him (as a head coach), I’ll take him again. I can tell you that right now. The thought of going through another cycle and he’s not somebody’s head coach is ridiculous. I mean this guy is as good as they come, and he can do it all.

“He understands how to manage a game; he understands offense, defense, special teams; he knows how to communicate; he understands discipline of players, and he’s motivating; he’s inspiring. I don’t want to lose him, but I also root for the guy because I just think he’s a hell of a coach.”

The Lions’ defense finished seventh in points allowed (20.1) and 20th in yards allowed per game (342.4) in 2024 while also ranking as a top-10 unit in total turnovers forced (24). Those numbers are made all the more impressive when considering the sheer number of injuries Detroit sustained.

Of the defensive starters to begin the season, four did not play in Saturday’s 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round, and a fifth (Amik Robertson) exited after just two snaps. Alex Anzalone was on the field for the postseason, but he missed seven games previously due to a concussion and a broken forearm.

No loss was larger than the one of Aidan Hutchinson, who broke his leg against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6. Hutchinson finished tied with Alim McNeill, who also couldn’t finish the season (torn ACL), and Levi Onwuzurike for a team-high 45 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

“He is beyond qualified right now,” Johnson said of Glenn recently. “You hear all of our players singing his praises right now, and that’s exactly what I would do; I would second that. He is more prepared to be a head coach than maybe anybody I’ve ever met. He wants that, and I think he’d do a phenomenal job in charge.”

Glenn’s playing days after the Jets included stops with the Houston Texans (2002-04), Dallas Cowboys (2005-06), Jacksonville Jaguars (2007) and New Orleans Saints (2008). His coaching career got started, after spending two years as a personnel scout with the Jets, with the Cleveland Browns, with whom he was an assistant defensive backs coach from 2014-15. He returned to the Saints as their main defensive backs coach from 2016-20 before Campbell brought him to Detroit.

It’s been a fairly consistent climb for the Lions’ defense since Glenn took over. In yards allowed per game, they went from 29th to 32nd to 19th to 20th in the four seasons he called plays. They also went from 31st to 30th to 23rd to 7th in points given up, helping the Lions go an NFL-best 27-7 over the last two years.

Glenn is steadfast in the type of defense he plays: An aggressive, man-heavy scheme that looks to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Lions finished 2024 with a blitz rate of 34.6%, which was second only to the Minnesota Vikings (38.9%).

“What most people don’t know is Aaron Glenn … is the hardest-working coach I’ve ever been around, “rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold said Jan. 5, after the Lions held the Vikings to nine points in Week 18. “That guy literally puts in so much time (and) devotes himself to understanding his players. … The dude is a genius.”

Glenn interviewed with five teams this hiring cycle, including the Saints. Last year, he met with the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Chargers, Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans before each team opted to go elsewhere and he returned to the Lions for a fourth season.

“I think the one thing that I get out of all these interviews is, man, I’m going to be myself,” Glenn said Jan. 15. “Either you’ll like it or you don’t; if you don’t, all good. … If you like it, (and) if it’s an opportunity I think that’s best for me and my family, then we’ll take a look at it.”

The shuffling of staff members may not be over for the Lions, who now have to wait and see if any assistants will follow Glenn to New York or Johnson to Chicago. Getting knocked out of the playoffs early was a disappointment for the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed, but it clearly didn’t change the league’s esteem for Detroit’s coaches.