FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn understood he would have to reinvent himself this year if he was going to be the leader of the team beyond the 2026 campaign. After a disastrous 3-14 inaugural season at the helm, Glenn has shifted his focus to be better prepared for his second season. Part of that shift was the decision to call plays on the defensive side of the ball while calling it his "superpower."Throughout camp, and even during joint practices for the Jets between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week, Glenn has been the one calling plays for the defense. While his big test won't begin until the start of the regular season, preseason action will be a good dress rehearsal for him to show he can handle the duties of head coach, and play-calling. It's part of the reason why New York has already declared that their starters will see game action on Friday: it will be further preparation for both the players and coaching staff. Glenn's important dress rehearsalThere are many head coaches across the NFL who not only lead the entire team, but call plays as well. Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan are noteworthy offensive minds who do that. Last year's Super Bowl winner Mike Macdonald is a defensive-minded coach who still led Seattle to a title. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Glenn decided to take over the duties this year. As he prepares for the start of preseason action, though, it will be the first test for the former cornerback to show he can handle the added pressure of play-calling, while also staying in tune with some of the in-game duties required by a head coach. The secret for Glenn is trusting the assistants around him. "This was thought out quite a bit to be honest with you, so now how do I surround myself withpeople that are going to help me in that aspect also," Glenn said. "If you're calling it, you can't do everything, and I want to make sure I'm spot on with what I'm calling. I want to make sure I'm putting our players in the best position."New York hired Brian Duker in the offseason as defensive coordinator despite no experience in leading an entire defensive unit. Duker's relationship with Glenn, though, allows for the head coach to handle both duties without getting too overwhelmed. "My dynamic with him (Glenn) is certainly just assisting him in terms of that role, still getting the guys ready every day and doing everything I can from that and trying to help make sure our systems are clean, our systems are in place and everything is well run in that regard," Duker said.Throughout camp, the Jets have managed Glenn's dual roles well. Things will be entirely different when they take the field on Friday, though. New York's coach can't simply focus solely on the defense, he needs to be able to handle all the details that come with the job. And it's something he's prepared to deal with as well. "When the offense is up I want to continue to be able to manage the game when it comes to timeouts and all those things," Glenn said. "Because that's my job as a head coach, to make sure of that, but my job is also to surround myself with people that can help me."Trust will go a long way for Glenn this season. So long as his assistants do a good job, managing both in-game decisions, and play-calling could work for the Jets head coach. The first true trial run will begin Friday, though. And it won't be easy to hide if the head coach gets overwhelmed at that part. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow