Former Jets Head Coach Called 'Perfect Fit' To Replace Aaron Glenn As Lions DC

Could a former New York Jets head coach replace Aaron Glenn as the Detroit Lions’ next defensive coordinator?

Glenn has become the Jets’ new head coach, per a post from ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday afternoon.

But who will replace Glenn as defensive coordinator in Detroit?

On Tuesday, ABC’s Ryan Field introduced an interesting candidate for the Lions as they search for Glenn’s replacement at DC.

Field suggested a man with deep ties to the state of Michigan: former Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

“If Aaron Glenn does in fact land with the Jets … the Lions should absolutely bring Robert Saleh home,” Field said.

“The Dearborn native would be a perfect fit for the culture that’s been built in Detroit.”

Saleh was born in Dearborn, Michigan and attended Dearborn’s Fordson high school before heading to Northern Michigan for college. Saleh also began his coaching career in Michigan as Michigan State’s offensive assistant (2002) and defensive assistant (2003) before moving onto Central Michigan in 2004 to work as a defensive assistant.

Saleh’s career has taken an upward trajectory over the last two decades, his firing from the Jets notwithstanding.

He’s a brilliant football mind who is being sought after by multiple NFL franchises right now for both head coach and coordinator roles. Saleh has interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys for their head coach vacancies, and he’s also reportedly the San Francisco 49ers’ top choice at defensive coordinator, a role he filled with San Francisco from 2017 to 2020.

The Jaguars scheduled a second interview with Saleh, so that is a developing situation to monitor.

But what about the Lions? Should Detroit take Field’s suggestion and go after Saleh? He’s clearly an excellent DC, but Detroit may also feel like it’s a waste of time to go through the interview process with a guy seeking another head coach job (and with Jacksonville possibly close to happening).

It would certainly be ironic for Saleh to replace Glenn in Detroit, but the chances are slim to none.

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