The Jets are hiring Dolphins assistant coach Brian Duker as their new defensive coordinator.
Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University.
Because Duker, 36, has no playcalling experience, coach Aaron Glenn is expected to take over that responsibility for the 2026 season -- a significant shift from 2025. Glenn took a hands-off approach with his previous coordinator, Steve Wilks, whom he fired with three games remaining. The Jets interviewed nine known candidates for the position, including longtime coordinator Wink Martindale, who was perceived as the early favorite after a second interview Saturday. Duker wasn't one of the original eight candidates. He was a late addition, as his first interview didn't occur until Tuesday. By then, only four of the original eight were still available. He landed the job in large part because of his background with Glenn.. Under defensive coordinator Glenn, Duker worked his way up from defensive assistant to safeties coach to defensive backs coach. He spent the past two seasons as the Dolphins' passing game coordinator/secondary coach. "During our time in Detroit, Brian consistently demonstrated a high-football acumen and an aggressive approach to defense," Glenn said in a statement."I'm confident that his energy and knowledge of the game will help elevate our players and push this team forward." This is a critical hire for Glenn, who went 3-14 in his first season with one of the worst defenses in franchise history. He has come under fire for the upheaval on his coaching staff. Counting Wilks, he has dismissed nine coaches, including offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Tuesday.Glenn said his preference was to operate as a CEO-type coach, allowing his coordinators to call the plays. At the end of the season, however, he opened the door to the possibility of running the defense. He said he wanted to explore the pool of candidates before making a final decision.Duker walks into a massive rebuild, as the Jets finished near the bottom in almost every major statistical category -- 31st in scoring, 25th in yards, 30th in sack rate and 30th in expected points added. They generated only four turnovers, an all-time league low. Cornerback It was a precipitous fall for the Jets, a top-four defense in yards every season from 2022 to 2024. Their peak year was 2022, when they were top four in yards and scoring, something they hadn't done since 2009. Nine of their top 13 snap leaders are under contract for 2026, but that number belies the actual talent level. They have needs at safety, linebacker, cornerback and defensive line depth. Their most accomplished players are edge rushers
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