Jets' Aaron Glenn Already Better Than Robert Saleh In One Way, Says Analyst

Just 72 hours into his new role as New York Jets head coach, Aaron Glenn is doing things differently than Robert Saleh.

Well, one thing, at least.

The former Jets leader Saleh, now rejoining the San Francisco 49ers as defensive coordinator, went 20-36 with New York in three-plus seasons and was fired by the franchise in October.

Saleh navigated some tough times for the Jets, including losing Aaron Rodgers for an entire season, a factor that should be taken into account when examining the above 20-36 figure.

Saleh was far from perfect in New York, however, and according to Jets X-Factor’s Michael Nania, one thing Saleh didn’t excel at was hiring staff.

“Saleh was detrimentally nepotistic when building his Jets staff,” Nania wrote on Saturday.

“Both of his initial coordinator hires were coaches he had worked with in the past. So was his second offensive coordinator hire, Nathaniel Hackett. The Jets’ new passing game coordinator in 2023, Todd Downing, previously worked under Hackett.”

“Not only did Saleh’s nepotism limit the collective strength of the Jets’ coaching staff, but it created a group-thinking environment that constricted the team’s creativity and adaptability. Since nearly every coach on the staff came from the same coaching tree, there weren’t many new and unique ideas being brought to the table.”

Saleh’s strategy of hiring from within apparently isn’t a tactic exercised by Glenn, which Nania views as a positive development for the 2025-and-beyond Jets.

With news that Glenn is going after Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Nick Caley to fill the Jets’ offensive coordinator vacancy, Nania believes Glenn — who has never worked with Caley — is separating himself from the shortcomings of Saleh.

“If this (Caley) hire is completed, Glenn will have already checked one huge box that plagued Saleh's tenure: not falling into nepotism,” Nania posted to X. “As far as I can tell, Glenn & Caley have never worked together. Seems like Glenn is looking for the best candidates with no regard for hiring his pals.”

Nania's article about Glenn’s departure from Saleh's nepotism went into greater depth. 

“Jets fans should be thrilled about this (Caley) news,” Nania wrote.

“That excitement should be sustained whether Caley is hired or not, because it doesn’t even have to do with Caley himself. That’s not to say Caley does not have an appealing resume – he does, and we’ll get into that – but there is one reason this news is so important regardless of who Glenn ultimately hires: it proves that Glenn is not allowing nepotism to constrict his hiring process.”

Nania makes valid points about Glenn that are hard for Jets fans to view as anything other than encouraging.

Once Glenn has established his staff (and the Jets have hired a GM), establishing a starting quarterback becomes an urgent mission for New York.