Aaron Glenn is searching for a new defensive coordinator for his second season with the Jets. Here’s the latest on that search…
Jan. 24, 11:35 a.m.
According to SNY NFL Insider Connor Hughes, Wink Martindale is flying to New York on Saturday and will have an in-person interview for the team’s vacant defensive coordinator job.
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Martindale, 65, already completed a virtual interview for the position as he looks to return to the NFL. He most recently served as the DC for Michigan the past two seasons and was the defensive coordinator for the Giants from 2022 to 2023.
Prior to joining former Giants coach Brian Daboll‘s staff, the veteran coach was the DC for the Baltimore Ravens under John Harbaugh from 2018-2021 and the team’s linebackers coach from 2012-2017.
Jan. 23, 7:32 p.m.
The Jets are moving on from a number of coaches, including QB coach Charles London, DL coach Eric Washington, LB coach Aaron Curry and pass game coordinator Scott Turner.
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SNY’s Connor Hughes said on the latest episode of Jets Final Drive that players had “a lot” of issues with Washington and Curry, but Turner being relieved comes as a surprise.
With the mid-season release of DC Steve Wilks, Jets coach Aaron Glenn has now relieved five coaches of their duties.
Jan. 16, 4:45 p.m.
The Jets were busy in the second week of their offseason, completing a first round of interviews for eight candidates for the vacant DC job.
The team announced that they completed virtual interviews with Wink Martindale, Jim Leonhard, Chris Harris, Jim O’Neil, DeMarcus Covington, Daronte Jones, Mathieu Araujo, and Ephraim Banda.
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Martindale is the most senior of the group at 65 years old and has the most experience as a defensive coordinator at the NFL level. Recently, the DC at Michigan, he worked last in the NFL with the Giants, where he had a rocky relationship with then-head coach Brian Daboll. Martindale also held the DC job for four seasons in Baltimore and one in Denver.
Leonhard started 40 games over three seasons as a safety for the Jets. After finishing a 10-year playing career, he entered coaching, spending several years at his alma mater, Wisconsin. He was the DC with the Badgers from 2017-22, finishing as the interim head coach for the last seven games. He made the jump to the NFL in 2024 with another of his former teams, the Broncos, where he’s been a defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator for the past two seasons, adding assistant head coach to his title this year.
Harris was hired to Glenn’s staff last offseason to be the defensive back coach and passing game coordinator, but finished as interim DC after Steve Wilks‘ firing. Before coming to New York, the eight-year NFL veteran was Washington’s defensive backs coach (2020-22) and Tennessee’s DBs coach and passing game coordinator (2023-24).
O’Neil has experience with Glenn in Detroit, where he’s worked as a defensive assistant since 2024. He got his first NFL gig with the Jets in 2009 as a defensive quality control coach before serving as assistant DBs coach from 2010-12. He was Cleveland’s defensive coordinator for two seasons (2014-15), along with NFL stops in Buffalo (2013), San Francisco (2016), Oakland/Las Vegas (2019-20).
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Covington also has experience working as a DC in the NFL, holding that position with New England during the 2024 season. He first joined the Patriots under Bill Belichick, serving as a coaching assistant, outside linebackers coach, and defensive line coach after joining in 2016. He served as defensive line coach/run game coordinator with Green Bay in 2025.
Jones was the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach with the Vikings. He first came to Minnesota in 2020, leaving for one season to be LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021.
Araujo spent the past four seasons, his first in the pro ranks as a coach, with Miami coaching defensive backs.
Banda has been the Browns’ safeties coach since 2023 after spending several years coaching in college, including a stint as the DC at Utah State (2021-22).