Aaron Glenn continued to add to his first coaching staff as head coach of the New York Jets with the hiring of Chris Banjo as special teams coordinator.
Banjo completed his second season as Denver's assistant special teams coach in 2024. In both seasons the Broncos finished in the NFL's top 10 in several special teams rankings, with PR/KR Marvin Mims and the Broncos' punt/kickoff cover and return teams leading the way.
Banjo polished his coaching skills under Mike Westhoff, the former Jets and NFL special teams guru who served as assistant head coach under Sean Payton for the past two seasons until a medical condition cut short his 2024 season in November.
Besides Westhoff, who was Glenn's ST coach with the Jets in 2001, Banjo has other connections to Glenn. Payton was Glenn's head coach in New Orleans in his final season as a player in 2008, and the two were together under Bill Parcells in Dallas in 2006. Banjo also is familiar with new the Jets' new general manager Darren Mougey, who was Denver's assistant GM when Banjo was hired in 2023.
As a player, Banjo had a varied career, starting with Green Bay as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and after the Packers making multiyear stops with New Orleans and Arizona. In his 10-season NFL career from 2013-22, he was credited with 58 kick-coverage tackles, tied for 24th-most in the league (with former Jet Justin Hardee) in that span.
