With the number of coaching candidates interviewing the Jets seemingly increasing by the hour, you have to wonder if Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman are getting paid an hourly rate.
Just kidding, the Jets have interviewed 12 people for this job and will interview five others. That wasn't even among the 15 general manager candidates they interviewed.
That's not to say the Jets aren't being thorough. They met with their first coaching candidates two weeks ago. It looks like it will be at least a week or two before hiring a coach. I felt it was a good time to reflect on my coaching quest.
people's choice
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn feels he is the candidate most favored by fans. Glenn checks a lot of boxes. He's not afraid to attack players and hold them accountable, something he felt the Jets lacked under coach Robert Saleh. Glenn's defense with the Lions ranks seventh in points allowed this season despite being hit by a number of injuries.
Glenn, 52, has ties to the Jets as the team's first-round pick in 1994. Jets owner Woody Johnson doesn't have to worry about winning press conferences, but it feels like Glenn would give Johnson a head coach who brings more excitement than any other candidate. I'm optimistic.
the one that got away
Whoever becomes the Jets' coach will have to deal with the shadow of Mike Vrabel hanging over them. Vrabel felt like the defining hire of this coaching cycle. That may ultimately prove wrong, but that's how it feels right now. The Jets interviewed Vrabel on Jan. 3 at Florham Park, and by all accounts the interview went well.
Then the Patriots swooped in, fired Jerod Mayo and brought Vrabel back to Foxboro. Now, the Jets will face him twice a year, and the new coach will have to live with comparisons to the new Patriots coach.
Are you experienced?
The Jets have interviewed or will interview eight candidates who have served as full-time head coaches in the NFL and two who have been interim coaches. The team would like to fill at least one of the two open positions with someone who has previously held the position.
Vrabel, Ron Rivera, Rex Ryan, Matt Nagy, Steve Spagnuolo, Vance Joseph and Arthur Smith have already given interviews, and Brian Flores is scheduled to interview on Friday. Of that group, I don't think Rivera and Ryan are really up to the task. The other players all have questions about what happened during his first stint as coach.
That's the tricky thing about hiring someone who was a head coach before, and there's a reason they were fired. The Jets also interviewed Jeff Ulbrich and Darren Rizzi, who served as interim head coaches this season. Ulbrich was with the Jets and Rizzi was with the Saints. Ulbrich replaces Robert Saleh, who went 3-9, but he is not expected to take the job.
go on the offensive
Some believe the Jets should hire an offensive coach after Saleh, Todd Bowles and Ryan struggled with the Jets. But Adam Gase was an offensive coach, so what happened to that? Nagy and Smith are offensive minds who also previously served as head coaches.
The Jets also spoke with Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and requested a meeting with Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady. The Jets interviewed Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Cohen, and Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who have been attracting attention this cycle. is not requested.
There's debate over whether it's wise to only hire high-profile offensive coordinators. It worked for Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, Matt LaFleur in Green Bay, and Sean McVay in Los Angeles, but there are many other examples of offensive geniuses who didn't become great head coaches.
The Jets also requested an interview with Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, who played for the Jets in 2017-18. McCown is not yet an NFL coordinator, but he is attracting attention as a coach. One of the coaches the Jets asked to turn down the request was 49ers quarterbacks coach Brian Griese.
Who did they interview?
The most sobering part of this whole process was that Maryland coach Mike Locksley was interviewed. In 10 years as a college coach, he had 35 wins and 67 losses. This must have been a favor for someone.
latecomer
The Jets requested interviews with Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and Packers DC Jeff Hafley this week. Both have extensive experience, with Hafley serving as head coach at Boston University for four years.
