Jets add more Lions flavor to Aaron Glenn’s staff with Tanner Engstrand as offensive coordinator

New York Post

For Glenn — a first-time head coach with a defensive background — offensive coordinator is his most important staff hire.
Caley is on the same Rams’ staff as former Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who was pushed out the door after two seasons (2021-22) and blamed for quarterback Zach Wilson’s lack of development.
To replace Johnson, the Lions chose to go outside the building and hire John Morton as their offensive coordinator instead of elevating Engstrand.
Morton, who was with the Broncos in 2023, was the Jets offensive coordinator under Todd Bowles in 2017.
Harris interviewed for the defensive coordinator position before Wilks was hired, according to ESPN.

POSITIVE

Tanner Engstrand had a coaching partnership with Darren Mougey almost twenty years prior to working with Aaron Glenn.

Glenn hired Engstrand as his offensive coordinator, the Jets announced Friday night, and all three men will now be together in important roles for this new era of the team.

Engstrand and the recently appointed general manager Mougey first crossed paths in 2004 while both were San Diego State backup quarterbacks. Kevin O’Connell, who is currently the head coach of the Vikings, was the starter at the time.

The offensive coordinator is Glenn’s most crucial staff addition as a new head coach with defensive experience.

Since Engstrand was an offensive assistant who worked with tight ends and rose to the position of passing game coordinator for the Lions during Glenn’s four years as the team’s defensive coordinator, it makes sense that he would give the position to a familiar face.

The Jets’ first pick for offensive coordinator was turned down, according to SNY: Nick Caley, the pass game coordinator and tight ends coach for the Rams, expressed his disinterest in the position.

Caley works with former Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who was fired after two seasons (2021–2022) and held accountable for quarterback Zach Wilson’s lack of progress.

With LaFleur gone and the quarterback traded to the Broncos, Wilson’s career continued to be a letdown.

While playing for the XFL’s DC Defenders in 2020 under veteran NFL quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton, Engstrand gained his only experience as an offensive coordinator.

Prior to joining the XFL, Engstrand was a college football assistant, and he had been with the Lions ever since.

The Jets can only hope that Engstrand, 42, can at least approximate the level of success he recently witnessed in Detroit.

The Lions finished second in the NFL in terms of total offense (409 points and 5 yards per game) and first in scoring (33 points and 2 points per game).

Mougey and Glenn’s decision to retain 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers should make Engstrand’s job easier. Rodgers is also open to returning and learning a new offense.

Engstrand’s ability to assess prospects will be essential if the Jets start looking for a quarterback.

The question of why Engstrand made himself available to Glenn remains unanswered.

Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Lions, left to become head coach of the Bears. Instead of bringing Engstrand with him, Johnson chose to hire 28-year-old Decan Doyle from the Broncos to be his offensive coordinator.

Rather than promoting Engstrand to offensive coordinator, the Lions decided to go outside the building and hire John Morton to replace Johnson.

In 2017, Morton, who was with the Broncos in 2023, served as Todd Bowles’ offensive coordinator for the Jets.

The Lions swiftly hired former Stanford head coach David Shaw to fill Engstrand’s position as passing game coordinator after it became apparent that Engstrand would probably be heading to the Jets.

Under head coach Steve Wilks, the Jets also started to fill out some positions on their defensive staff.

Not all of the former NFL players on staff will be like Glenn.

According to reports, Chris Harris, an eight-year veteran, will serve as both the defensive backs coach and the coordinator of the pass game, while Aaron Curry, a four-year veteran, will coach the linebackers.

Curry, drafted No. 1 as a rookie, once agreed to a $60 million, six-year contract. Coached inside linebackers for the Steelers the previous season after being selected fourth overall in 2009.

ESPN reports that Harris had an interview for the defensive coordinator post prior to Wilks’ hiring. After failing to secure that position, Harris resorted to a role that was strikingly similar to his previous two seasons with the Titans.

Additionally, Chris Banjo, the Jets’ special teams coordinator, was officially added as previously reported.

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