The Detroit Lions are gearing up for their Divisional Round matchup with the Washington Commanders, but offensive and defensive coordinators have one eye on the more distant future. Both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn are among the most attractive head coaching candidates for the 2025 hiring cycle, and the latter has emerged as one of the leading contenders for multiple teams.
Aaron Glenn Is The Hottest NFL Head Coaching Candidate
His name has been mentioned as a potential head coaching candidate for years. But Aaron Glenn has stayed put in his role as the defensive coordinator for the Lions since 2021. This year appears to be different, however, as the 52-year-old former cornerback has attended interviews with nearly every team that currently has a vacancy.
Lions LB @AlexAnzalone34 believes Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn “is on the same level” as his head coach Dan Campbell.
🎧 https://t.co/ktzVY8hQBU pic.twitter.com/I3lOGd1Lcr
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2025
Per reports, the Saints are in the driver’s seat to land him. ESPN’s Dan Graziano said on Tuesday that New Orleans would be making a “strong push” for Glenn, and that they’d “probably land” him over the Jets. He had an interview with New York last week that was considered “strong” and he has the connection with the team, having played his first 8 years in the NFL with the franchise.
Glenn has a history with the Saints as well, playing four games as a member of the team in his final on-field season.
Those might not be the only teams in the mix. The Cowboys finally pulled the plug on their partnership with Mike McCarthy on Monday, creating a vacancy that should be one of the more intriguing destination options for head coaching candidates. One of their former scouts, Bryan Broaddus, went on record Monday saying that Glenn would have a “really, really good shot” of being hired should he be interviewed.
Oddsmakers Say Glenn Is A Big Favorite For Saints Job
There would be question marks facing Aaron Glenn at any of the listed destinations. The Saints are considered to be in salary cap hell, and could have trouble with talent acquisition over the next couple of years. The Jets have a bit of a mess to clean up after the Aaron Rodgers saga. The Cowboys have plenty of roster talent already, but any new head coach would have to deal with the influence of Jerry Jones on the operations.
The odds are BetOnline certainly reflect the notion that New Orleans has the upper hand. When it comes to the listing of who will be the next Saints head coach, Glenn is listed as the overwhelming favorite at -225.
