Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Glenn One and Done?

Date: December 18, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn (Peter Rosenberg out on paternity leave)
Network: ESPN New York

Episode Overview

This episode centers primarily on New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and speculation that he may be fired after just one season (“one and done”). The discussion weaves together Glenn's performance, expectations for the Jets, the logic (and illogic) of firing coaches after a single season, and broader issues facing the team such as quarterback woes and organizational dysfunction. Other topics touched upon include NBA load management in light of the Knicks’ schedule, tonight’s NFL matchups, coaches’ paternity leave, and listener interactions about leadership and team-building in sports.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Knicks & NBA Scheduling after the In-Season Tournament

• Knicks' Injury Report & Load Management:
  • Alan breaks down the Knicks’ injury issues coming out of the NBA Cup and speculates about possible lineup sacrifices against the Pacers following a grueling Vegas trip and a four-games-in-six-days stretch.
  • Don laments that the NBA’s efforts to make more games meaningful with the in-season tournament ironically lead to giving teams “reasons to rest guys” ([06:27]).
  • Don notes, “You want to make the games more meaningful. But now you’ve almost given some of these organizations a reason to rest guys” ([06:27]).

2. NFL: Seahawks-Rams & Playoff Race

• Parity in the NFL:
  • Quick aside about neither division being clinched heading into Week 16, emphasizing exceptional competitive balance this year ([08:44]).
  • Alan: “Normally you got at least one [division] clinched, and this year we haven’t. It’s only happened three other times in 24 years” ([09:02]).

3. Paternity Leave Musings

• Peter Rosenberg’s Absence:
  • Lighthearted ribbing about Peter's paternity leave and how times have changed regarding workplace policies for new fathers ([10:07]).
  • Don: “If you’re somebody that has a wife that…you could work it to where you never work!” ([11:08])

4. Jets Head Coach Aaron Glenn – "One and Done"?

Background

• Speculation Triggered by Mike Florio
  • Florio suggests Glenn could be fired after just one season, particularly after the firing of defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

Analysis by Don and Alan

• Skeptical of the Rumor

  • Both agree the “one and done” scenario is highly unlikely and not based on inside reporting but rather speculation and reading tea leaves ([15:05]).
  • Alan: “Woody Johnson firing somebody and still having four years left on his contract doesn’t make sense. Number one, let’s just start just business wise” ([15:05]).
  • Don: “I would be absolutely flabbergasted if Aaron Glenn was let go. Flabbergasted. I would be as shocked as anything that I’ve seen in sports in the last decade” ([18:52]).

• Organizational Reality Check

  • Don and Alan recount the lack of expectations for the Jets coming into the season, primarily due to poor quarterback prospects and organizational instability ([14:31]).
  • Don: “Where has Aaron Glenn failed in the expectations for this organization?...they knew that it was going to be a long year” ([13:45]).

• Defensive Coordinator Firing

  • Both hosts agree that firing Wilks was the right move as it reflected Glenn taking command, signaling decisive leadership rather than weakness ([21:06]).
  • Alan: “This was a bad hire and I need to get somebody better in here…this shows you he’s even more in command” ([15:05], [21:41]).

• Jets’ Situation Compared to Other Teams

  • Comparison to Patriots, Broncos “one and done” firings, and the critical factor that those teams had ready, highly qualified replacements—unlike the Jets ([35:29]).
  • Alan: “Who do the Jets have?...The only available coach that has any type of experience…would be Rex Ryan. That’s the only guy” ([19:07]).

• Dysfunction & the ‘Jets Job’

  • Extended discussion about the Jets being an unattractive destination for coaches and executives ([27:47]).
  • Don: “It’s a bad job. I mean, it’s not one of 32 when there are college jobs that are more prestigious or financially official than the Jets” ([27:52]).

5. Caller & Listener Reactions

Notable Callers:

• Brian in Sleepy Hollow:

  • Suggests Glenn only be fired if a top-tier coach is available; points out some game management miscues but sees him as a “leader of men” ([31:18]).
  • “I don’t love Glenn…he’s the leader of men. And I’m hopeful, but not super hopeful for the future.”

• Lee on Long Island:

  • Argues young head coaches should be compared to one another and points to Broncos/Patriots examples, but hosts counter with the Jets’ uniquely poor infrastructure ([33:16]).

• Louis (schoolteacher/caller):

  • Draws a parallel between staff “mailing it in” during a school closure to the Jets’ “waving the white flag” after failing to draft a quarterback and trading away core players ([45:53]).
  • “The fatal flaw this season was not drafting a quarterback…I believe in the policy: draft one till you get one” ([45:53]).

Hosts’ Reflections

• Don: “Some of the things that I’ll forgive in year one are not going to be forgivable in year two and three.”
• Alan: “Every time you say fire him…who are you replacing him with? Because it’s franchise malpractice…to fire a coach and have no plan after one year” ([39:25]).

6. Jets Roster-Building Philosophy

• Drafting Quarterbacks:
  • Debate about drafting QBs each year; Don explains it’s only sensible to draft a QB if you genuinely believe in them, not just for the position’s sake ([49:03]).
  • Alan wonders at the lack of effort to find even late-round options such as Shadour Sanders ([50:09]).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the in-season NBA tournament grind:

  • Don: “You’ve almost given some of these organizations a reason to rest guys because…do you really want, when you’re competing for a championship, to play all these extra games of stress and travel?” ([06:27])

• On Wilks’ firing and Glenn’s leadership:

  • Alan: “It signifies me he’s even more dug in and in control. And I also think…it signifies something else. He better find himself a good defensive coordinator.” ([21:41])

• On the Jets’ organizational status:

  • Don: “It’s a bad job. It’s not just one of 32, it’s one of like 132…Now…the other aspect of this thing is a five year contract. They gave him a five year contract because I think they want the slow burn with this.” ([27:52], [28:21])

• Setting expectations from the start:

  • Don: “I tried to say it is kind of what I suspected it would be. Now, there were some yahoos out there…The only reason you thought that was because you thought Justin Fields was…about to pop. Yeah, he popped like a balloon and he’s not any good.” ([28:53])

• On fans clamoring for heads to roll:

  • Alan: “You can’t just say fire Donnie…who are you replacing him with? Because it’s franchise malpractice…to fire a coach and have no plan after one year.” ([39:25])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• NBA In-Season Tournament Fallout & Knicks Injuries: 01:00 – 06:50
• NFL Week 16 Parity & Playoff Races: 08:16 – 09:16
• Jets: Glenn One-and-Done? Speculation & Analysis: 12:06 – 44:26
  • [15:05] Alan’s refutation of the Florio rumor
  • [18:52] Don’s reaction: “flabbergasted” if Glenn was fired
  • [21:06] “To do nothing reflects poorly on Glenn…”
  • [27:52] Don & Alan on the Jets job as a destination
• Listener/Caller Perspectives: 31:33 – 50:51
  • [31:33] Brian in Sleepy Hollow on Glenn’s tenure
  • [33:16] Lee on Long Island on “rookie head coaches”
  • [45:53] Louis, schoolteacher, on organizational quitting and drafting QBs
• Jets’ Roster Building/Drafting QBs: 48:00 – 50:51

Final Thoughts & Flow

The hosts repeatedly stress the difference between fair, context-based criticism and impatient, reactionary calls for change. They see Aaron Glenn as a first-year coach in a thankless rebuild, hamstrung by organizational dysfunction and a lack of quarterback talent, but still showing leadership in adversity. Both caution against “Jets will be Jets” knee-jerk reactions, urging fans to focus on the bigger picture and recognize that sustained success requires continuity and a multi-year plan, not instant gratification.

The episode is lighthearted and passionate, marked by inside jokes, sharp retorts, and the open, occasionally exasperated tone characteristic of New York sports talk.