By Mummy Grace 
Aaron Glenn has officially taken over as head coach of the New York Jets, but he’s not forgetting where it all started. During a recent press conference, the former Lions defensive coordinator gave a heartfelt shoutout to Dan Campbell, crediting Detroit’s head coach for preparing him for the leap.
“I give a lot of credit to Coach Campbell in Detroit,” Glenn said. “He let me operate like a head coach before I even got the job. Whether it was planning the offseason, laying out training camp, or making major decisions—he trusted me with all of it. That experience helped get me ready for this role.”
Campbell has always been vocal about mentoring his assistants the way his mentors, including Bill Parcells and Sean Payton, did for him. In Glenn’s case, that support clearly paid off. Early in his time with the Lions, Campbell often had Glenn lead full-team meetings, giving him the kind of exposure most coordinators don’t get.
Now that Glenn is running his own team, he’s carrying that leadership style forward—emphasizing player development and daily improvement, something Campbell has emphasized since day one in Detroit.
The Lions’ coaching pipeline continues to thrive, and Glenn is just the latest example of Campbell’s influence spreading across the NFL.