BREAKING: Jets Hiring Former Cardinals Head Coach Steve Wilks As Their Defensive Coordinator

Aaron Glenn is starting to put together his New York Jets coaching staff and has made a big time for defensive coordinator.

According to multiple reports, Glenn has hired former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks to lead his defense with the Jets.

The 55-year-old Wilks spent 2024 in college as a volunteer advisor for Charlotte’s football team. His most recent job in the NFL was as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers during the 2023 season.

Wilks has an extensive resume dating back to 1995 when he entered the coaching ranks as a defensive coordinator at Johnson C. Smith. He spent 11 seasons in college before breaking into the NFL in 2006 with the Chicago Bears as their defensive backs coach.

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In addition to his work as an assistant coach, Wilks has 28 games of experience as a head coach in the NFL. He went 3-13 in his lone season with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, then went 6-6 as interim head coach for the Carolina Panthers in 2022.

The Jets defense took a significant step back in 2024 from where they had been the previous two years. They ranked 20th in points allowed and gave up more than 20 points in 11 of 17 games. They only had 15 games allowing more than 20 points in 2022 and 2023 combined.