If the Jets were advertising a job for a head coach or general manager, there might be a line that says “experience preferred.”
The Jets are considering GM and coaching candidates who have held the jobs before, and at least one of the two jobs could go to someone with experience rather than a rookie. There are enough.
A name that recently surfaced in their search is a head coach with a wealth of experience.
The team plans to meet with former Panthers and Commanders coach Ron Rivera this week, officials said. The 62-year-old has 13 years of head coaching experience and led Carolina to Super Bowl 50.
Former Jets coach Rex Ryan also told ESPN Radio on Monday that he plans to interview for his previous job after the season. The Jets are interested in speaking with Ryan, who spent six years as the Jets' coach and two more with the Bills.
There's a lot to discuss about what the Jets should be looking for in both their GM and coach. One area of discussion is how important it is that the person has done the job before.
Looking at the current first-year coaches, Jim Harbaugh of the Chargers and Dan Quinn of the Commanders have both led teams to the playoffs and previously served as head coaches.
The Falcons, also coached by second-time head coach Raheem Morris, are still contending for the NFC South title.
The Jets haven't hired many experienced coaches in recent years, which has been problematic for coaches who learn on the field. Robert Saleh, Todd Bowles, Ryan, Eric Mangini and Herm Edwards were all first-time head coaches.
The flip side of the experience argument is that Adam Gase was a former head coach, but that experience didn't translate into success in his two years with the Jets.
The likely favorite of most Jets fans is Mike Vrabel, who spent six seasons coaching the Titans and appeared in the playoffs three times. ESPN reported on Monday. Vrabel's consulting contract with Browns expires As such, he is now free to interview with the team.
Vrabel is not the only candidate with experience. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores will be required to give coaching interviews despite missing the playoffs in all three seasons as the Dolphins' coach.
Former Seahawks (and Jets and Patriots) coach Pete Carroll is reportedly interested in returning to coaching. The 73-year-old led the Seahawks to two Super Bowls and won once.
Other possibilities include former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury, former Falcons coach Arthur Smith and former Bears coach Matt Nagy.
The big question all Jets coaching candidates must answer is who will be on the coaching staff. These experienced coaches may have an easier time assembling a staff than first-time coaches.
When it comes to the GM job, for some reason it's harder for GMs to get that job than it is for head coaches. However, the Jets have already spoken with former Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff and former Titans GM Jon Robinson, and may interview even more candidates who have previously held the job.
Experience may be more important in a GM role than a head coach, as many first-time candidates are just front-office executives on successful teams. Unlike offensive and defensive coordinators, it's difficult to assess exactly how responsible these front office executives were for the team's success and what the GM and other executives did. It's also difficult for people in the scouting world to learn about salary caps and financial aspects, and vice versa.
The Jets don't intend to hire a general manager before a head coach, so whoever they hire as head coach could have a say in the GM hire. An experienced head coach may also end up having more influence and control within an organization than a general manager.
Carroll did it in Seattle with John Schneider as GM. Carroll still controlled the roster. Vrabel, one of the most likely candidates, may be looking for more control in his second try as manager.
The search will intensify next week when the regular season ends. The issue of experience will be a major issue.
