Aaron Glenn has been a frequent target of fan frustration over his three seasons as defensive coordinator of the Lions. But if you ask the players, he's the best coordinator in the NFL.
This comes from a recent survey conducted by the NFL Players Association that canvassed more than 1,700 players this season on, among other topics, the best coordinators they've played for. NFLPA president J.C. Tretter said that Glenn was the No. 1-overall-rated coordinator across offense, defense and special teams, via ESPN.
The survey drew responses from 774 defensive players, with coordinators rated on a scale of 1 to 10. After Glenn, the top defensive coordinators were Steve Wilks of the 49ers, Dan Quinn of the Cowboys, Brian Flores of the Vikings and Raheem Morris of the Rams.
A year after finishing dead last in the NFL, the Lions defense has jumped to 15th in the league, with mostly the same personnel. Glenn's unit has been especially strong against the run, allowing the third fewest yards per carry in the game.
It's still a surprise to see Glenn held in such high regard by the players when other coordinators have much longer track records of success. But Glenn, a former Pro Bowl corner who played 15 years in the NFL, is known for being an excellent communicator and motivator who knows how to command a room. His feel for his players is one of the reasons he's viewed as a future head coach.
"He is more than worthy of being a head coach, more than qualified to be a head coach in this league," Dan Campbell said at the end of last season.
Glenn has interviewed for head coaching jobs each of the last three offseasons, and will likely get calls again this offseason. It could be the year he gets hired.
Perhaps more surprising than Glenn's inclusion at the top of the rankings was Ben Johnson's omission from them. While ESPN only released the top-rated coordinators across each unit, Johnson, who's widely viewed as the hottest head coaching candidate in the NFL, was not among the top five offensive coordinators: Frank Smith of the Dolphins, Thomas Brown of the Panthers, Brian Schottenheimer of the Cowboys, Brian Callahan of the Bengals and Kellen Moore of the Chargers.
The Lions have a top-five offense for the second season in a row under Johnson, whose players have done nothing but sing his praises in Detroit. He was considered the leading candidate for the Panthers head coaching job last offseason before opting to stay in Detroit to tend to unfinished business with Campbell and Co.
Like Glenn, this could well be the year that Johnson moves on to become a head coach. It's only slightly curious that he didn't garner more love in the survey, which drew responses from 864 offensive players.
Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp did get some love, ranking No. 4 among coordinators at his position. John Fassel of the Cowboys led the way in that group.