The Aaron Glenn Era Begins: How the New Jets’ Head Coach will Shape the Franchise
The New York Jets just finished interviewing potential head coaching candidates and made their selection. This is a line I wrote this week, but it would have been accurate seven times since 2001. The Jets just hired Aaron Glenn, who is their eighth head coach since 2001.
- Herman Edwards (2001-2005)
- Eric Mangini (2006-2008)
- Rex Ryan (2009-2014)
- Todd Bowles (2015-2018)
- Adam Gase (2019-2020)
- Robert Saleh (2021-2024)
- Jeff Ulbrich (2024 -2024)
Jeff Ulbrich was named head coach following the firing of Robert Saleh in October. Though he was interviewed, the rumors are that he is not being considered seriously for the position. That means the Jets will likely hire their eighth head coach since 2001 in the next few weeks.
There is an undeniable correlation between the number of coaching changes an NFL team makes and Super Bowl wins.
Thirteen teams have made seven or more coaching changes since 2001. Those teams have won just two Super Bowl over that time period. In addition, the Broncos would have made less than seven coaching changes had Gary Kubiak not been forced to retire due to health concerns. Kubiak was the head coach in Denver for their last Super Bowl win.
In contrast, teams with three or fewer coaching changes since 2001, have won nine Super Bowls since 2001. If we add teams with four or fewer changes, the number of Super Bowl wins jumps to twelve. At the far end of the spectrum, teams that have made just two coaching changes since 2001 have won seven Super Bowls…seven! It begs the question: Are these teams not changing coaches because they are winning, or are teams winning more frequently because they are not changing coaches so often?
Frequent coaching changes create organizational chaos. New coaches bring new systems, forcing players to constantly readjust. The perpetual “rebuilding” cycle becomes self-fulfilling, as each new coach needs time to implement their vision, only to be replaced before that vision can fully materialize. It becomes clear that teams are winning because of stability if we analyze the data. If you are a betting sort, there are great odds for next year’s NFL champion in the module for Sports Betting at Betiton. As far as a Super Bowl winner for 2026, I recommend going with a team who has had their coach in place for several years. The New York Jets are listed as having just a 24% chance at making the playoffs next season. That is among the lowest playoff possibility percentages currently. The pessimism is attributable to the instability in the New York Jet’s organization. The finger can be pointed directly at owner Woody Johnson. Lack of success in the NFL is typically the fault of ownership, rather than coaches. Upheaval in the coaching staff is the source of failure for all of the teams that have failed to hold the Lombardi trophy over prolonged periods of time.
