Former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is poaching a member of Dan Campbell’s staff to add to his offense.
Seth Ryan, formerly the Lions’ assistant tight ends coach, will join Glenn on the New York Jets coaching staff as the team’s new passing game coordinator. Ryan has history with the Jets organization, as his father Rex was once the Jets’ head coach and grandfather Buddy also spent seven years coaching in New York.
Ryan had been with the Lions’ organization for five seasons in multiple different capacities. His first four years were spent as the team’s assistant receivers coach, and he transitioned to the tight end room to help new position coach Tyler Roehl with the duties in 2025.
However, Roehl departed the staff after one season to become the new offensive coordinator at Iowa State University. Detroit replaced Roehl by promoting Steve Oliver, who was previously the team’s assistant offensive line coach.
In his time with the Lions’ organization, Ryan helped the development of players like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and most recently Sam LaPorta. He helped oversee a group that was one of the NFL’s most prolific receiving corps, as they have had two 1,000-yard receivers each of the last two seasons.
A new generation of Ryans in New York: the Jets are hiring the Lions assistant tight ends coach Seth Ryan as their passing game coordinator, per sources.
Seth Ryan follows his father Rex, who followed his father Buddy as the third generation of Ryans to coach for the Jets.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2026
Ryan had been passed over for promotions in the past with the Lions’ organization. In an interview with Detroit Football Network, he admitted his disappointment but embraced the move to the tight ends room, which he believed would help his future in both the short and long term.
“He’s looking at my future. He’s like, I see you becoming this, and I know this will help you. And there’s got to be a lot of trust with your head coach,” Ryan said in September. “This is my fifth season with him. I trust the man completely. He knows exactly how to help his staff, how to help the team. He’s helped my career a ton, so I’m going to trust him.”
The Jets struggled offensively in 2025, Glenn’s first season as head coach. They had issues and inconsistency at the quarterback position, with three different starters behind center.
Offensive coordinato Tanner Engstrand, another coach who had previously been with the Lions, was not retained after the season and landed on the Atlanta Falcons’ coaching staff. The Jets hired former Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich as the new offensive coordinator, and Ryan will be working closely with him in his new role.
Ryan played collegiately at Clemson and was a quality control coach for two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers before coming to Detroit.
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