Glanville is the defensive coordinator for Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Prior to that, was most recently the head coach of the Alabama Airborne of Major League Football (MLFB). He played football at Northern Michigan University in the early 1960s, and is a former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster. He served as head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from 1990 to 1994. From 2007 to 2009, he was the Head Football Coach at Portland State University. Glanville has worked as an analyst on HBO's Inside the NFL, CBS's The NFL Today/NFL on CBS and Fox's coverage of the NFL. He has also raced on the Automobile Racing Club of America circuit. Glanville also briefly served as a consultant and liaison for the United Football League in 2011.

During Glanville's time in the National Football League he was the special teams/defensive assistant for the Detroit Lions from 1974 to 1976, the secondary coach for the Atlanta Falcons from 1977 to 1978 and the Falcons defensive coordinator from 1979 to 1982, the secondary coach of the Buffalo Bills in 1983, the defensive coordinator of the then Houston Oilers from 1984 to 1985 and then head coach from 1985 to 1989 (initially being the interim coach after the firing of Hugh Campbell, and then being the permanent replacement starting in 1986), and head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 1990 to 1993.

Jerry Glanville grew up in Perrysburg, Ohio and played football for Perrysburg High School, graduating in 1959. He went on to play college football as a middle linebacker at Northern Michigan University, graduating in 1964 with a bachelor's degree. He also holds a master's degree from Western Kentucky University, where he worked as an assistant football coach on campus and roomed with fellow former NFL coach Joe Bugel. The two were known for drawing football plays on pizza boxes.