The New York Jets are seemingly trying to poach the Dolphins’s best coaches…at least, those who have ties to their head coach Aaron Glenn.
The Jets announced on Jan 28th that Dolphins passing game coordinator and secondaries coach Brian Duker will be their new defensive coordinator. Duker had recently spent time with Aaron Glenn on the Lions‘ staff from 2021-23 as an assistant under Glenn.
This could be seen as a hire that will keep both in check as Aaron Glenn gets to be more free in his head coaching duties while Duker can take more responsibilities calling the defense, as he knows Glenn’s system well. Interestingly enough though, Duker did not interview for the position until Jan 27th, a day before his hire, leaving many to think that perhaps Glenn had already made up his mind.
The Jets had actually interviewed eight other candidates virtually, including Wink Martindale, who was called back for a second interview last Saturday, where rumors emerged that Glenn was think of ceding defensive play calling to someone else. Unfortunately for Martindale, it was Duker he had in mind to carry out this vision.
A Familiar Face to Execute Glenn’s Vision
“During our time in Detroit, Brian consistently demonstrated a high football acumen and an aggressive approach to defense,” Glenn said in a statement. “I’m confident that his energy and knowledge of the game will help elevate our players and push this team forward.”
Both men have a lofty task ahead of them, as the Jets ranked as one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season. They were 25th in yards allowed and a dismal 31st in points allowed. To top it all off, they only had four takeaways all season, and none of them were interceptions.
What could be very interesting to see is if Duker can actually carry out Glenn’s vision, as with the Dolphins, he wasn’t all that impressive under Anthony Weaver. The Dolphins weren’t much better than the Jets, ranking 24th in points allowed, 22nd in yards allowed, and 18th against the pass. Funnily enough, Duker’s skillset seem to point more towards an offensive minded skillset, as he was also pass game coordinator for Miami.
A Full Defensive Rebuild Begins
Now, he and Glenn will look to build a defense from the ground up. After trading away both Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, who where thought be key pieces for the Jets moving forward, they now have about 90 million dollars in cap space to work with. They also have four picks over the first tow rounds of the draft, allowing them to pick up some blue chip talent.
Still, with a lot of the Jets’ coaching staff still to be determined, it’s important that Glenn hired someone he trusted on the defensive side of the ball. While Duker has had some slip ups throughout his career in Miami, he still could end up being the right man for the job..and the right hand man Glenn needs to right the ship.
Former Dolphins Assistant Hired As Jet’s New DC