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12/15 15:47 CST Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks fired by coach Aaron
Glenn after 48-20 loss to Jaguars
Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks fired by coach Aaron Glenn after 48-20
loss to Jaguars
By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Pro Football Writer
Aaron Glenn finally had seen enough from his porous, underachieving New York
Jets defense after 14 games.
The first-year head coach fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks on Monday, a
day after the team gave up 48 points in one of its worst losses in a 3-11
season.
Glenn announced that Chris Harris, the team's defensive backs coach and pass
game coordinator, would take over for Wilks. Glenn added that he would assist
Harris in the play-calling duties this week.
Glenn said during a video call with reporters that he made the decision late
Sunday night --- a few hours after New York's 48-20 loss at Jacksonville. He
said he spoke to Wilks on Monday morning to inform him that he was relieving
him of his duties.
"I felt like it was the best decision for the organization at this time," Glenn
said. "I've said this all along, that I'm evaluating players, I'm evaluating
coaches, I'm evaluating myself, and I just felt like this was the best decision
for right now, for the team and for this organization."
The 56-year-old Wilks was the first of the Jets' three coordinators hired by
Glenn after he took over in January. Wilks was out of the NFL last season while
serving as a volunteer adviser for Charlotte's football team. He was San
Francisco's defensive coordinator in 2023 but was fired after the 49ers' loss
in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Wilks' defense with the Jets struggled all season, ranking among the league's
worst against the run and points allowed. New York set an NFL record with no
interceptions through its first 14 games, which also tied a league mark for any
14-game stretch in a season.
The Jets had expected their defense to be a strength for a team that was
adjusting to changes to its coaching staff and with a new general manager in
Darren Mougey. But the unit struggled all season under Wilks. As of Monday, the
Jets' defense ranks 20th overall, 29th against the run and 30th in average
points allowed. The pass defense has been serviceable, ranking 12th in the
league.
"I think it's very, very difficult decisions," defensive tackle Harrison
Phillips said. "And I'll start with how much trust I have in A.G. and his
vision for this organization to win. So, I ultimately I put that at the
forefront of any of my emotions and know that I trust the man at the helm."
New York, which failed to make the playoffs for the 15th straight year, dealt
two of its top players --- cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle
Quinnen Williams --- at the trade deadline. That further weakened an already
inconsistent defense under Wilks.
Two weeks ago, the Jets gave up 167 yards rushing in a 27-24 victory over
Atlanta. They followed that up by allowing 239 yards on the ground last week in
a 34-10 loss to Miami. On Sunday, Trevor Lawrence threw five touchdown passes
and ran for a score in the blowout loss at Jacksonville, during which the
Jaguars scored on eight of their first nine possessions.
After the game, Glenn brushed off questions about whether he might consider
pulling play-calling duties from Wilks, saying he brought the veteran coach to
New York "for a reason, and I want him to run his system." A few hours later,
Glenn decided to move forward without Wilks for the final three games of the
season.
"I just thought that from last week going into this week, the improvement
wasn't there," Glenn said. "And I thought it was time to make a change."
The 43-year-old Harris had 16 career interceptions while playing safety for
eight NFL seasons during two stints with Chicago, along with stops in Carolina,
Detroit and Jacksonville. After retiring from playing in 2013, Harris began his
coaching career as a defensive quality control coach for the Bears before
joining the Chargers as an assistant defensive backs coach in 2016.
He served in the same role for Washington from 2020 through the 2022 season
before being hired by Tennessee as the defensive pass game coordinator and
cornerbacks coach.
Glenn said Harris has experience calling defensive plays in the preseason, so
he expects him to get up to speed quickly.
"This is a league of change," Glenn said. "And with change comes opportunity,
and this will be a good opportunity for him to get a chance to call it."
The Jets got their second defensive takeaway of the season against
Jacksonville, a fumble recovery by Malachi Moore --- a little more than two
months after Andre Cisco's fumble recovery against Denver on Oct. 12. New York
ranks last in the NFL with a minus-17 turnover differential.
"I want to see consistent improvement," Glenn said. "I want to see structure
that's consistent. I want to see play that's consistent. And I want to see the
culture of this football team come together."
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