Aaron Glenn gets emotional as the reality of being the Jets' head coach 'hit me pretty hard'

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The reality of the situation finally hit Aaron Glenn.

More than seven months after being hired by the New York Jets, the first-time NFL head coach got surprisingly emotional Saturday. And it had nothing to do with the 12 penalties called on his team during practice.

“I'm sure this is going to hit at some point, but I told the players this: The first time since I became head coach, today was the first day it really hit me,” Glenn said to open his post-practice news conference. "And it hit me once I heard the fans give the ‘J-E-T-S’ chant.

“And I don't know why, but it just hit me.”

The 53-year-old Glenn was drafted by the Jets in the first round in 1994 and played for the franchise for eight of his 15 NFL seasons. The three-time Pro Bowl cornerback was also a personnel scout for New York for two seasons and a longtime assistant coach, most recently as Detroit's defensive coordinator for four seasons, before getting the chance to lead his former team.

“It hit me pretty hard,” Glenn said, his voice cracking slightly. "Man, I am so thankful. I'm thankful for this organization that gave me a shot. I'm thankful for this organization that gave me my second shot at becoming a coach.

“I don't know why, fellas. But it hit me and hit me pretty hard, and, man, I just feel grateful. Grateful to be in this position.”

Glenn, along with new general manager Darren Mougey, faces the task of turning around the fortunes of a franchise that has the NFL's longest active playoff drought at 14 seasons.

He has talked several times since being hired in January about changing the culture around the Jets and building them into a consistent winner by stressing fundamentals and competition. But with the team practicing in front of packed stands for its annual scrimmage at the facility, Glenn couldn't shake his emotions — especially when he heard the fans.

“Yeah, I was,” Glenn said when asked if he was surprised he felt that way. “I thought it had already hit me.”

One thing Glenn has focused on during training camp is cutting down on penalties after the Jets were called for the most in the league in each of the past two seasons. He has officials at every practice to try to get players to understand how plays will be called. But it didn't seem to help much Saturday.

The Jets had 12 penalties called on them during what Glenn called a “pseudo scrimmage,” including several holding calls.

“There are a lot of things we've got to clean up and the one thing I'm sure everybody saw is the penalties,” the coach said. “I'm glad we had the refs out there because that's one thing we want to hit — we want to make sure we hit those hard. And I want them to ref it just like it was a game and I thought they did a good job of that.”

It made for a sloppy practice as Justin Fields and the rest of offense, including the backups, struggled throughout the session. Some calls even had the fans booing.

“There's no excuses,” Glenn said. “Our players understand that. We know penalties, they're discipline issues and we've got to make sure we are more disciplined in aspects on both sides of the ball. We will get those cleaned up, I promise you that. But there's a lot of work to do.”

Cornerback ace Kris Boyd left the field on a cart after injuring a shoulder during special teams drills. He went down on the sideline and was writhing in pain while he was looked at by trainers. Glenn had no immediate word on his condition.

Glenn said wide receiver Xavier Gipson also injured a shoulder on the final play of practice when he tried to catch a pass in the end zone.

Safety Jaylin Simpson was waived/injured after he injured a hamstring during practice Saturday. The Jets claimed defensive back Mario Goodrich off waivers from Denver to take Simpson's roster spot.

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New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn looks on during an NFL football training camp, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn speaks at a press conference following practice at the team's NFL football training camp, Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Police in Ohio's capital city said Wednesday that they have gathered enough evidence to link a man charged in the double homicide of his ex-wife and her husband in their Columbus home last month to the killings.

Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant said in an Associated Press interview that authorities now believe Michael David McKee, 39, a vascular surgeon who was living in Chicago, was the person seen walking down a dark alley near Monique and Spencer Tepe's home in video footage from the night of the murders. His vehicle has also been identified traveling near the house, and a firearm found in his Illinois residence also traced to evidence at the scene, she said.

An attorney representing McKee could not be identified through court listings.

His arrest Saturday capped off nearly two weeks of speculation surrounding the mysterious killings that attracted national attention. No obvious signs of forced entry were found at the Tepes’ home. Police also said no weapon was found there, and murder-suicide was not suspected. Further, nothing was stolen, and the couple’s two young children and their dog were left unharmed in the home.

“What we can tell you is that we have evidence linking the vehicle that he was driving to the crime scene. We also have evidence of him coming and going in that particular vehicle,” Bryant told the AP. “What I can also share with you is that there were multiple firearms taken from the property of McKee, and one of those firearms did match preliminarily from a NIBIN (ballistic) hit back to this actual homicide.”

Bryant said that the department wants the public to keep the tips coming. Investigators were able to follow up on every phone call, email and private tip shared from the community to the department and some of that information allowed them to gather enough evidence to make an arrest, she said.

That work culminated in the apprehension of McKee in Rockford, Illinois, where the hospital where he worked — OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center — has said it is cooperating with the investigation. He has been charged with premeditated aggravated murder in the shooting deaths. Monique Tepe, who divorced McKee in 2017, was 39. Her husband, a dentist whose absence from work that morning prompted the first call to police, was 37.

McKee waived his right to an extradition hearing on Monday during an appearance in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court in Winnebago County, Illinois, where he remains in jail. Bryant said officials are working out details of his return to Ohio, with no exact arrival date set. His next hearing in Winnebago County is scheduled for Jan. 23.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said Wednesday that the city doesn't prioritize high-profile cases any more than others, noting that the city's closure rate on criminal cases exceeds the national average. The city also celebrated in 2025 its lowest level of homicides and violent crime since 2007, Ginther said.

“Every case matters. Ones that receive national attention, and those that don’t,” he told the AP. “Every family deserves closure and for folks to be held accountable, and the rest of the community deserves to be safe when dangerous people are taken off the street.”

Ginther said it is vital for central Ohioans to continue to grieve with the Tepes' family, which includes two young children, and loved ones, as they cope with “such an unimaginable loss.”

“I want our community to wrap our arms around this family and these children for years to come,” he said.

This undated booking photo provided by the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, shows Michael David McKee, who was charged in the killing of his ex-wife, Monique Tepe, and her husband Spencer Tepe at their Columbus, Ohio, home on Dec. 30, 2025. (Winnebago County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Spencer and Monique Tepe's home in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos)

This image taken from video shows Michael David McKee walking into the courtroom on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Rockford, Ill. (WIFR News/Pool Photo via AP)