Rex Ryan interviews with Jets
New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan against the New England Patriots on Dec. 21, 2014. Credit: Lee S. Weissman
Rex Ryan interviewed for the job he used to have with a couple of the men who hired him to be the Jets’ coach nearly 16 years ago.
Ryan sat down with Woody Johnson and ex-Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum on Tuesday in Florida to discuss the team’s head coaching vacancy.
Johnson hired an outside firm, The 33rd Team, to assist in the search. Tannenbaum founded that company. He and former Vikings GM Rick Spielman are helping the Jets find a new head coach and general manager. Johnson will have the final say in who gets both jobs.
Ryan spent six years coaching the Jets from 2009-2014. Tannenbaum was the Jets’ general manager when Ryan was hired. Ryan has maintained a good relationship with Johnson. Ryan and Tannenbaum are both NFL analysts for ESPN.
Ryan has been lobbying to return to the Jets ever since Robert Saleh was fired following a Week 5 loss in London and replaced by Jeff Ulbrich.
The Jets underachieved this season, finishing 5-12 with no playoff berth for the 14th consecutive year.
During an appearance on ESPN Radio on Monday, Ryan exuded his usual brashness and confidence in saying he “100 percent” expected to be the Jets next coach.
“Absolutely I do,” Ryan said. “And the reason I think I’m going to get it is because I’m the best guy — and it ain’t close.”
Ryan is the third known candidate the Jets have interviewed for their head coaching job. They’ve also talked to Ron Rivera and Mike Vrabel. Vrabel is considered a leading candidate for the Jets’ job, but he may be atop the Patriots’ wish list as well. He played for New England, won three Super Bowls there, and is in the team’s Hall of Fame.
The general manager and coaching searches will pick up steam this week now that the regular season is over. The Jets are setting up interviews with candidates for both jobs.
The Jets are expected to interview Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who played cornerback for the Jets for eight seasons, and Kansas City offensive coordinator Matt Nagy later this week. Their respective teams have playoff byes.
Linebacker C.J. Mosley said he would like to see the Jets hire “a coach that has leadership ability, a coach that’s established, also a coach that’s going to pretty much demand a certain way of football. You don’t have to like him, you don’t have to be best friends but you have to respect the way that it’s going to work.”
The Jets went 46-50 under Ryan and reached the AFC Championship game in his first two seasons. Ryan was the coach the last time the Jets made the postseason in 2010.
Ryan has the third-most coaching victories in franchise history behind Weeb Ewbank (71) and Joe Walton (53). Ryan’s four playoff wins are the most of any Jets’ coach.
The Jets were the No. 1 ranked defense in Ryan’s first season as coach. They finished in the top 10 his first four years.
Johnson fired Ryan after a 4-12 season in 2014. Ryan went on to coach the Buffalo Bills for nearly two years. He went 15-16 before being fired late in the 2016 season.
Ryan spent 10 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before joining the Jets. He was Baltimore’s defensive line coach from 1999-2004 and defensive coordinator the next four years. The Ravens were a top- six defense all four years Ryan was defensive coordinator, including No. 1 overall in 2006.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
