Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – “Jets Coaching Decisions” (Hour 1)

Date: January 28, 2026
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Theme: An in-depth, candid discussion of the New York Jets’ ongoing coaching chaos, controversial Hall of Fame voting practices across sports, and the frustrations of ownership dysfunction in pro football.

Overview of the Episode

This episode centers on the New York Jets' latest coaching turmoil, focusing on the failed recruitment of several candidates, organizational dysfunction, and the nature of ownership interference. Don and Alan start with a spirited debate on Hall of Fame voting controversies in all major sports, segue into the Jets' moves (and missteps), and finish with calls from exasperated fans. The tone is conversational, dense with expertise, and loaded with New York sports cynicism and humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hall of Fame Voting: Corruption and Politics

(Starts ~01:52)

• Don and Alan dissect the broken state of Hall of Fame induction processes:

  • Secretive committees, backroom deals, and voters acting with a “God complex” weren’t unique to one sport.
  • Examples included Pat Burns in hockey and ongoing controversy in baseball with PED-era candidates and so-called “Legends Committees.”
  • The sense that some voters use their role for personal power, politicizing what should be a merit-based honor.

• Quote (Don, 02:28):
  “It’s really embarrassing, quite frankly... There’s got to be some better way. I don’t know what it is, but there just has to be a better way to figure this stuff out, because it’s important to a lot of people.”

• Quote (Alan, 04:26):
  "If you don’t vote for him and you think he’s worthy, then you have a God complex and you should not vote. End of sentence."

• They express annoyance with the argument that secrecy is for voter safety—citing the bizarre logic that not voting for Jeter is grounds for hiding out, but acknowledging how rowdy fanbases can be.

• The absurdity of “make him wait a year” votes and the idea of withholding honors for drama, prestige, or bargaining was hotly criticized.

  • “That’s the part that bothers me the most, this notion that... you twisting the knife.” (Alan, 06:36)

• The process turns into politics, with “favors done all the time”—not unlike government, but “with no greater good, just ego.”

  • (Don: 07:07)

2. Jets Coaching Circus: Organizational Dysfunction on Display

(Begins ~11:20, gets deep ~12:41)

• Jets’ failed attempt to bring in Jon Gruden:

  • Gruden was reportedly offered a job (not head coach) but unsurprisingly turned it down, possibly due to his own NFL lawsuit and the general mess in the Jets organization.
  • The hosts speculate the offer was suspect—Gruden is viewed as an existential threat to any inexperienced head coach (i.e., Aaron Glenn), since he’d clearly be next-in-line if things fell apart.
  • This fits the larger theme that hiring (and firing) decisions may be more smoke and mirrors—presenting Aaron Glenn as the “alpha” in charge, when in fact higher-ups are pulling strings.

• Alan theorizes about Glenn’s possible motives:

  • Maybe he’s finally taking responsibility, realizing he’s in over his head and needs more senior staff, but the pattern of firings and candidate whiffs doesn’t add up.
  • Alarming “about faces” in coach selection (Martindale and Leonard out, inexperienced replacements in) show a leader out of his depth, or at best, one subjected to constant outside interference.

• New Defensive Coordinator selection raises eyebrows (18:13):

  • “You had experienced people in the building and suddenly you made an about face. That doesn’t make sense to me.” (Alan)
  • The practice of offering coordinator roles to men who obviously want the head job is seen as self-defeating, especially when those men (Gruden, Reich) have no interest in being subordinate to an unproven head coach.

• Don’s conspiracy theory:

  • Glenn is being used as cover—fronting for unpopular decisions made by others (ownership or management).
  • “All of a sudden, it’s not collaborative anymore. An organization that started collaborative, all of a sudden, they’re not collaborative anymore. Every decision is Aaron Glenn’s. I don’t buy it.” (Don, 13:04)
  • The idea is to scapegoat Glenn later, even as he’s set up to fail.

3. Jets Ownership: Woody Johnson, Accountability, and League Oversight

(Caller segments around 34:26 and beyond)

• Skeptical—sometimes despairing—fans call in, echoing the hosts’ view that Jets dysfunction is institutional:

  • No competent coach or executive wants to join a rudderless franchise with constant ownership interference.
  • “As long as the present owner owns his team, it’s never going to get fixed.” (Caller Ira, 35:45)
  • The hosts agree: “...when you think you’re smarter than football people... you look at your track record over the last 15 years and think you’re smart at all… At some point you got to look and go, maybe I’m the problem.” (Alan, 36:51)

• Comparison to other leagues:

  • Parallels with other owners forced out (Sterling, McCourt) for racism or bankruptcy. But there’s no similar standard for sheer incompetence.
  • “I just wonder... They wouldn’t let that in the hen house. But now you can’t get him out.” (Don, 47:44)

• NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s possible intervention discussed:

  • Both Don and Alan are skeptical anything will change, since the team is profitable, but wonder aloud why the league tolerates such a major-market embarrassment.

4. New York Sports, Islanders' Moves, and Brief Musical Interludes

(Islanders trade talk at 24:13; musical break at 25:30)

• Sports bits:

  • Islanders made minor trades with the Rangers and Devils—not earth-shaking, but a sign of organizational willingness to improve, contrasted with the Jets.
  • Brief discussion of how Brian Cashman (Yankees) is similarly risk averse in making “rival” trades.

• ’80s Rock Nostalgia:

  • Hahn and La Greca go off on a playful tangent about classic hard rock and “stripper music” (White Snake’s “Here I Go Again”).
  • “It’s everything that is wrong but also so right about rock and roll.” (Don, 29:31)
  • Humor and old-school stories create a breezier mood before returning to fan calls and heavier Jets discussion.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Hall of Fame voting as “God complex” problem:

  • “‘Who the hell are you?’ ... That’s God complex stuff, man.” (Alan, 04:26)
  • “If you believe in God, God does what he does, and you’ve got to accept it... It’s the same way if you’re voting in the Hall of Fame.” (Don, 10:09)

• On the Jets’ executive dysfunction:

  • “I’ve always believed that this authority that Aaron Glenn has... has been a bit of a facade... There’s somebody behind the scenes, pulling the strings.” (Don, 13:04)
  • “You have a coach who’s learning on the job, and now we’re really understanding it more than ever.” (Alan, 14:39)

• On Woody Johnson and NFL ownership:

  • "They think they're smarter than everybody else... you look at your track record over 15 years and think you're smart at all?” (Alan, 36:51)
  • “You wouldn't let it in the hen house. But now you can't get him out.” (Don, 47:44)

• On possible NFL solutions:

  • “At some point, a commissioner... works for what's best for the league. When you have a franchise... at this level of embarrassment, why would you want one of your 32 teams to have zero shot because of complete incompetency by your owner?” (Don, 45:22)

Key Timestamps

• 01:52 – Hall of Fame process critique begins
• 04:26 – Alan on “God complex” in Hall voting
• 11:20 – Transition to Jets’ coaching shuffle, Gruden rumors
• 13:04 – Don’s theory on Glenn’s role as scapegoat/front
• 18:13 – Alan on disastrous DC candidate rollout
• 34:26 – Fan calls: despair about Jets’ future, leadership
• 36:51 – Alan on Woody Johnson's accountability
• 45:22 – Don questions league inaction on ownership failures
• 47:44 – “Hen house” analogy for NFL club governance

Tone & Concluding Impressions

The show is charged with genuine frustration, world-weary humor, and the sense of New York sports fans forever battling owners and institutions who never seem to “get it.” Both Don and Alan lean into seasoned skepticism and razor-sharp observations on everything from Hall of Fame votes to the Jets’ latest facepalm moments. It’s essential listening for NFL fans, especially those who savor the pain and absurdity of New York football.

For further discussion:

• Will the Jets ever attract competent staff under the current regime?
• Can any league police ownership incompetence, or does cash always win?
• Is the Hall of Fame, in any sport, still a credible institution?

End of Hour 1 Summary
(Skip to next episode hour for more fan calls and NFL deep-dive.)