The Patriots conducted a short head coaching search, but one candidate wasn’t interested in sitting down with the franchise.
New England requested an interview with Aaron Glenn, but the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator declined a meeting. Glenn noted Wednesday it wasn’t due to any ill will against the Patriots.
“I’ve never felt anything against that organization,” Glenn told reporters, per a team-provided video. “It just wasn’t the best situation for me.”
It might have been a diplomatic answer from the 52-year-old as it wasn’t hard to decipher why he likely declined an interview.
The Patriots’ first interviews were with Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton, two coaches who have been out of NFL work since 2022. Those interviews meant New England fulfilled the requirements of the Rooney Rule and could hire a head coach anytime it wanted. Robert Kraft did just that when he hired Mike Vrabel days after interviewing him.
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NFL executives reportedly felt New England tried to save face by requesting an interview with Glenn. But its intentions were always known, and the sides moved forward with Vrabel at the helm for the Patriots and Glenn seeking an opportunity that is the best situation for him.
Featured image via Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
