The New York Jets on Monday introduced their new HC Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey at a news conference at 1 Jets Drive. The search was led by Chairman Woody Johnson in consultation with former NFL front office executives Mike Tannenbaum, Rick Spielman and The 33rd Team.
"Selecting these guys, we got an early start," Johnson said. "We were very thorough and fair to everyone. We did three-hour interviews, and each interview was the same. We went through 15 interviews for each one of these candidates, but needless to say when they came back for their second interviews, it was pretty obvious who the leaders were."
Tannenbaum added: "It was a great process, and I learned a lot. Rick, my teammate from The 33rd Team, our job was to vet and collect information and work with Hymie Elhai, the team president. Ultimately, Woody and Christopher Johnson, I think the Jets made great decisions and it was great to be back and help."
The 33rd Team provided Johnson and the Jets organization with access to the group's unique data analysis, including trends and highlights in the hiring of football leadership. They helped identify and vet candidates in addition to coordinating interviews.
"These guys emerged at the top, and it was a clear top," Johnson said. "Which is really a credit to them, how they performed and their experience and all the accomplishments that each one of them have achieved in different ways."
Tannenbaum likened the hiring process to preparing for the NFL Draft. He previously worked in Jets' front office from 1997-2012, and was the team's general manager/senior vice president of football operations from 2006-12.
"I thought of it as ownership was the head coach," Tannenbaum said. "If you're in a draft process, the head coach is going to say, 'Hey, this is what I want position by position.' And really, for both candidates, there wasn't any one piece of data that sort of put them to the top.
"We called people from agents to players that they were backups for or that were cut, staff members. And the more thorough we got, there were just patterns in the data that both Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn were smart, high character, high performers that cared deeply and would be great leaders and be great listeners. It was a data-driven approach."
Tannenbaum had a relationship with Glenn prior to the hiring process, having been a part of the Jets' staff during five of Glenn's eight seasons as a player for the Green & White. Glenn returned as a personnel scout in 2012 under Tannenbaum.
"Aaron, this guy checked every box," Tannenbaum said. "He never took a shortcut. He's worked hard, he succeeded at everything he's done. Of course, knowing him certainly makes it a little bit easier, but if you look at it objectively, he has paid his dues every step of the way."
Unlike Glenn, Mougey arrived on the Jets radar not because he played in the NFL, but because of his 13 years of experience with the Broncos organization.
Mougey had a short stint as a player in the pros. He went undrafted in 2009 and spent time with the Flacons and the Cardinals, without appearing in a game. In Denver, he held several titles, starting as a scouting intern in 2012, being named the director of player personnel in 2021 and assistant GM in 2022.
"In both interviews, we were so impressed by [Mougey's] organization," Johnson said. "And his ability to pick out players, both college and pro, and that is really what you need to be good at. And the other thing that we really admired about Darren was his understanding of the relationship between he GM and head coach."
Tannenbaum added: about Mougey: "He is just someone that was really smart and detail-oriented. He had a really interesting, detailed approach to the process. If you look at his background, he's been in one organization, but been around a lot high-performing, high-achieving people and has been there through multiple ownerships."
Johnson & Co. came away thrilled about the hires and confident they have put the Jets in the best position to succeed in the future.
"I think today we are blessed to have these two gentlemen here," Johnson said. "This is a very happy day for the New York Jets, and you'll be hearing from these guys soon."
