An unsackable coach, loved by the fans, respected by the players, credited with turning the club around but currently suffering a couple of mediocre years - the Glazers have sacked one before.
In 2002 the Glazers fired Tampa Bay Buccaneers' head coach Tony Dungy, whom they had themselves recruited in 1996 and who had been credited with lifting a NFL laughing stock to some sort of competitive respectability.
Before Dungy, the team lost more games than they won for 13 years; under him, they reached the play-offs four times in six seasons. But the Glazers were ambitious for greater things and he was sunk by the team's failure to get to the Super Bowl. So on January 14 2002 he was phoned by Tampa's general manager Rich McKay and told he was out of a job. McKay had argued with the Glazers against the sacking but had been overruled.
Weeks earlier the Glazers had approached Bill Parcells, one of the biggest names in the NFL. Parcells had won the Super Bowl twice with the New York Giants and taken an average New England side to the 1996 final, only to lose to Green Bay. Tampa thought they had his agreement when Dungy was fired but, with a record-breaking contract ready to be signed, Parcells backed out. The Glazers were left with no coach and no Plan B.
The search for a successor lasted a month, a humiliating merry-go-round of names appearing and disappearing. Once the Glazers' first choice had turned them down they turned first to Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders. But Gruden would cost too much in compensation and they backed away. Joel and Bryan Glazer travelled the country talking to eight coaches in 25 days. McKay lined up the Baltimore Ravens' Marvin Lewis and the deal was about to be announced when it was vetoed by the Glazers. At that point, say some insiders, Malcolm Glazer intervened and told his sons to pay whatever it took to get their original second choice.
Gruden was a young coach with a big reputation. They negotiated with the Raiders' owner Al Davis and paid him $8m and four draft picks, a massive price for a head coach. "The price we paid was Al Davis's price," said Malcolm Glazer. "We were very happy to pay it and he should be very happy to receive it." Gruden became the best-paid NFL coach with a $17.5m contract. Twelve months later Tampa won the Super Bowl.
What does this say about the Glazers? They have their own views when it comes to who calls the shots at their sports teams and no chief executive will be taking the biggest decisions. They are brutal enough to make difficult choices to win big trophies and ambitious enough to spend what they have to get their man. It comes down to winning at all costs.
And Dungy? He is currently on the verge of an historic unbeaten season with the Indianapolis Colts. So, at least, there is life after the Glazers.