This Defensive Coordinator Hire ‘Gonna Happen’

The New York Jets appear to be zeroing in on a defensive coordinator candidate.

Multiple recent reports indicate veteran coach Steve Wilks is the favorite to earn the job under new head coach Aaron Glenn. SNY’s Connor Hughes took things a step further on Tuesday, suggesting the hiring of Wilks is a foregone conclusion.

“First reported this shortly before Aaron Glenn was hired,” Hughes wrote in response to an X user calling for the Jets to hire Wilks. “Sounds like that’s gonna happen.”

Wilks, 55, held various NFL and collegiate coaching roles over the last 20 seasons, including defensive coordinator stints with the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. He spent 2024 as a volunteer advisor at UNC Charlotte.

As for the Jets’ offensive coordinator vacancy, the leader in the clubhouse reportedly is Detroit Lions pass-game coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Los Angeles Rams assistant Nick Caley also is considered a strong candidate despite interviewing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator job on Monday.

With Glenn and Darren Mougey now installed as head coach and general manager, respectively, the Jets can put all of their focus on filling out the rest of the coaching staff. If recent reporting is accurate, New York already has settled on preferred hires for the two most important jobs.

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