Aaron Glenn will be calling the Jets defense this season. So what will new defensive coordinator Brian Duker’s role be?
“First and foremost, my role here is to help A.G., right, and help put him in great positions that he does a great job calling the game,” Duker said in a video call with reporters Wednesday. “But outside of that, from the defensive coordinator role, there’s certainly some details, coordination of the little things that need to be taken care of that sometimes just based on the plate of responsibilities that the head coach has that it helps if someone can handle some of those. So, some of the finer details and just some of the little things that I can help stay organized. Again, anywhere I can help him be better, that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Duker was a surprise hire as defensive coordinator in January. Glenn fired Steve Wilks in December with three games left in the season. He then interviewed several candidates, including some experienced coordinators like Wink Martindale. But he ultimately decided to take over the defensive play calling himself. He then hired Duker, who he had worked with in Cleveland and Detroit, to be the coordinator.
“He and I have extensive experience together, this is my third time working with him,” Duker said. “I always thought he was going to be a really good head coach, and it’s been very exciting for me to be a part of it and really see everything that I thought he was going to be as a head coach. As good as I thought he was going to be, he’s been even better than that. So, I’ve really enjoyed being united again with him and being able to see that live has been really cool for me.”
Duker was the secondary coach and defensive passing game coordinator for the Dolphins over the past two seasons. Duker, 36, has never been a coordinator before. He said he and Glenn have a very strong relationship and he jumped at the chance to work with him again.
“He and I have always seen football very similarly, so from that standpoint, the vision, the defense, that’s kind of an easy conversation for us,” Duker said. “And then it was more just kind of defining the role and how we would work together, but even that, we had very similar dynamic and are used to working together. So, honestly, it was a very easy conversation. I was very excited about it.”
