The two head coaches have a long history with each other.
Sean Payton-Aaron Glenn relationship, explained: Revisiting Saints teams that included Broncos, Jets coaches originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
head coach Aaron Glenn is one of the more prominent former players who is currently a head coach in the league.
The former Jets cornerback now leads the Jets as a head coach, hoping to turn around the franchise. To get there, he needed to learn how to be a coach of a winning team, and he had the opportunity to learn from one of the best.
Glenn credits head coach Sean Payton as being one of his biggest coaching mentors over the last decade. Payton hired Glenn while with the , kickstarting a successful coaching career.
Here's a breakdown of how Payton and Glenn grew so close.
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Sean Payton-Aaron Glenn relationship
Payton and Glenn's relationship dates back to 2005, when Payton coached and Glenn played for the . Then, when Payton was in his third season as the Saints head coach, Glenn closed his career with the team.
However, their bond grew in 2016, when Payton hired Glenn as the Saints new defensive backs coach. Glenn stayed in New Orleans for five seasons before following Dan Campbell to the .
In that span, the Saints made the playoffs every year from 2017 to 2020, and their defense improved from one of the worst units in the league to one of the best. Glenn had a hand in developing Saints defensive backs like Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Williams and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Payton told The Athleticwhy he believes in Glenn so much.
"There's a presence about him," he said. "As gifted and as skilled as he was, man, there's a grinder element, and a work element to him and a toughness and mental toughness to him that … When you start combining all those things, you end up with one of these special people."
Payton even called Glenn a "superstud" after the Jets hired him as their new head coach. Meanwhile, Glenn thanked Payton at his introductory press conference.
"Sean taught me what sustained winning is all about," he said. "Sustained winning."
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Sean Payton coaching career
College coaching career
Payton's football coaching career began with several stops in college football. He worked for San Diego State, Indiana State, Miami (OH) and Illinois from 1988-1996, usually working with running backs or quarterbacks.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach (1997-1998)
In 1997, Payton joined Ray Rhodes' staff with the as the quarterbacks coach, working under offensive coordinator Jon Gruden. Payton would be there for two seasons before Philadelphia fired Rhodes after the 1998 year.
New York Giants quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator (1999-2002)
Payton landed on his feet with the , as he became New York's quarterbacks coach in 1999 and offensive coordinator from 2000-2002 under Jim Fassel. In his first season as offensive coordinator, the Giants won the NFC and made the Super Bowl before losing to the . The Giants fired Fassel after the 2002 season.
Dallas Cowboys assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach (2003-2005)
Payton's work as the Giants' offensive coordinator helped him land a job on Bill Parcells' staff with the Cowboys from 2003-2005 as an assistant head coach. He would stay there for three years, allowing him to get his first head coaching job.
New Orleans Saints head coach (2006-2011, 2013-2021)
The Saints hired Sean Payton as their new head coach in 2006, which became a franchise-changing decision. Payton brought in quarterback Drew Brees during free agency and led the team to an NFC championship game appearance in his first year.
In 2009, Payton brought the Saints to the Super Bowl, helping New Orleans win its first championship in franchise history. He and Brees were a dynamic duo while together and will both go into the Hall of Fame because of how well they worked together.
Over the course of his time with New Orleans, Payton won seven division titles, made the playoffs nine times and made three NFC championship games. Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season due to "BountyGate," so he worked for Liberty Christian High School in Texas instead.
Finally, in 2021, Payton stepped away from the Saints and temporarily entered retirement.
Denver Broncos head coach (2023-present)
The Denver Broncos brought Payton out of retirement in 2023, giving him a huge contract. After a disappointing first season, Payton brought the Broncos back to the playoffs in 2024 as a wild-card team.
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Aaron Glenn coaching career
Cleveland Browns assistant defensive backs coach (2014-2015)
Glenn retired from the NFL in 2008, but waited a bit top become a coach. He joined the in 2014 as a defensive assistant under head coach Mike Pettine, who was the Browns' head coach for two seasons.
New Orleans Saints defensive backs coach (2016-2020)
In 2016, Payton hired Glenn to take over as the Saints' defensive backs coach. Glenn finished his career with PAyton's Saints in 2008, so the two had a prior connection before the hire.
While there, Glenn helped reignite the Saints' defense as New Orleans made the playoffs four-straight years from 2017 to 2020. He largely worked under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who replaced Payton as head coach in 2022.
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator (2021-2024)
When the Detroit Lions hired Saints assistant Dan Campbell as their new head coach in 2021, he brought Glenn with him as his new defensive coordinator. Glenn spent four years with the Lions and helped them reach the NFC championship game in 2023 and win 15 games in 2024.
New York Jets head coach (2025-present)
Glenn spent the majority of his playing career with the Jets, so he was thrilled to become their new head coach in 2025. The former cornerback played his first seven seasons with the Jets and was one of the team's best players in that span.
Category: Football
