Jets Hire Dolphins Assistant Coach as Defensive Coordinator
The New York Jets have been through a whirlwind couple of days. Between the team demoting and then subsequently firing their offensive coordinator, things falling through with Wink Martindale, and coaches taking shots at them publicly, Jets fans wouldn’t be blamed for feeling a bit of whiplash. On Wednesday, there was no reprieve, as the team announced that they hired Dolphins’ passing game coordinator and secondary coach Brian Duker as their defensive coordinator. Duker was a late addition to the search, as his first interview was a day prior, but he evidently sold himself enough to the Jets brass to secure the job. With this hire, Aaron Glenn will likely call the plays on defense while Duker helps with managing and game planning.
Duker was on the Lions staff with Glenn, serving as a safeties and defensive backs coach before being hired by the Dolphins. Duker would then coach with Miami for the last two seasons before joining the Jets on Wednesday. The Dolphins’ overall defense typically underperformed relative to their talent level, but Duker still had success with the defensive backs. The Jets could use some better defensive back coaching after an interceptionless season in 2025.
The reaction to Duker’s hiring has been less than positive, with many fans skeptical for multiple reasons. The first and most obvious reason is that, reading between the lines a little bit, this hire seemed like it was rushed and unplanned. The entirety of the defensive coordinator search, the clear favorite was Wink Martindale, with Glenn speaking with him before the season even ended about the opening. After the Jets brought Martindale in for a second, in-person interview, many thought that a deal would be reached with him soon. Somewhere in the last few days, however, things started going South, and the team seemingly had to pivot quickly.
The issue isn’t with Duker, per se; he’s a young coach who’s an unknown so far. The problem is with the entire process. When there are this many blatant pivots in such a short period of time, it makes people on the outside question whether those in charge know what they’re doing. It’s an issue that’s reflected in the Duker situation, the Engstrand situation, and has unfortunately been a general theme with this current regime.
