Who Will Be the Next Head Coach of the New York Jets?
Now That the Jets’ Appalling 2024 Season Is Over, the Hunt for a New Head Coach Takes Center Stage
Let the Jets’ Head Coach Hunger Games Begin
Rest easy New York Jets fans. After a season worth forgetting, you’ll at least have a few months to unwind and circle back to those happy thoughts that make you believe the team will fare better in next season’s NFL games.
Of course, though, that’s all easier said than done when it comes to the Jets. As NFL news experts have reported for the past few weeks, the search for a new General Manager and Head Coach continues to heat up at Florham Park.
One thing is abundantly clear as various candidates continue to be linked to the job according to various NFL rumors websites. Whoever ends up landing the job, coveted or not, will have his hands full trying to do what all past predecessors couldn’t: build a contender out of the wreck the Jets have been in for the past few years.
But hey, let’s not lose hope just yet. If Woody Johnson and company manage to take their heads out of their no-football knowledge asses, something good could come from all this.
.@sal_licata says the Jets can compete next season with the right head coach: pic.twitter.com/GqyDTmw0Tj
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) January 6, 2025
So, let the coaching hunger games begin.
What Will the New Head Coach Have to Deal With?
Before we do a quick initial dive into who the best fits for the Jets coaching job are, let’s do a little accountability exercise.
As a Jets fan myself, pinning the blame on a specific person, like Aaron Rodgers for example, for bringing the team’s morale down, getting Robert Saleh fired, and many other issues is not the right way to go here.
The Jets sucking this season was a whole team effort. Negative, but a team effort nonetheless. Even after Saleh was fired and potential HC candidates started to pop up; there was no way this ship was bound to be saved.
Let’s be real: Blaming Aaron Rodgers for the #Jets disastrous season is either lazy or just straight-up bias against him. The reality is, this mess goes way beyond Rodgers.@JakeAsmanShow pic.twitter.com/6svjLST6ou
— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) January 6, 2025
Whoever ends up being the team’s new HC will first need to work on building up morale and trying to instate a winning culture. The pieces are there. There’s enough depth within the roster, plus potential draft and free agency moves that can help significantly.
Would we say that the MOST LIKELY prospects for the Jets at #7 are-
OT- Will Campbell
DT- Graham
WR- McMillan
CB- Will Johnson
DE- Carter
OT- Banks JRIf so, let’s get to work on them 🫡
— Joe Blewett (@Joerb31) January 7, 2025
At the end of the day, remember one thing. When looking at the team’s NFL schedule this season, many games were lost by as little as possible. And when the team got into a groove, good things happened, even while everything around them organization-wise was burning down.
So why not build around the players who the team, the fans, and everybody else want to stay, including the players themselves?
“I want to be a part of this team for a long time. I want to be a part of the change in this organization. Obviously one person can’t change it, but I want to be one of the reasons we change.”
He wants to be here
🗣Pay Sauce Gardner #Jets pic.twitter.com/Ka4eR1lrkl
— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) January 6, 2025
Plus, let’s face reality: Running it back with Rodgers for one more season does not sound like a bad idea.
“It’s not an ideal situation, it’s the best of a bad situation.” @ChrisCarlin thinks Aaron Rodgers is the #Jets best chance to win in 2025. @880ESPNNewYork @ESPNNewYork | @BartScott57 https://t.co/eFncXmYGln pic.twitter.com/vcEbR6w9Kk
— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) January 7, 2025
You know I’m right, don’t try to fight me on this.
Who’s Hot & Who’s Not in NY’s Radar
So, with everything said and done, let’s get to the nitty-gritty of it, which names stand out the most and which don’t in New York’s head coaching race.
Besides Mike Vrabel (perfect potential pick in my opinion, but he’ll likely take the New England Patriots gig if offered) and Ron Rivera (F*CK NO!), who have already interviewed, let’s talk shop.
Jets head coaching candidates tier list pic.twitter.com/RuIcTlclNe
— Matt O’Leary (@MattOLearyNY) January 6, 2025
If the Jets want to go down an offense-first route, people like Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady (another one of my top picks), Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson (opium dream pick), Baltimore Ravens OC Todd Monken, and even Washington Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury make sense here.
There have also been talks about Pittsburgh Steelers OC Arthur Smith and Kansas City Chiefs Matt Nagy joining the fray, but keeping a realistic scope, I’m not a fan of their betting odds to land the job.
If, on the other hand, the Jets decide to take the defense-driven route here, Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores, Denver Broncos DC Vance Joseph, and Lions DC Aaron Glenn, a former Jets player himself, stand out the most.
Something about Glenn makes perfect sense here. It feels like a tailor-made reunion that could pay off immensely.
Aaron Glenn as HC
Josh McCown as OC#Jets pride ✊🏻Thoughts❓ pic.twitter.com/0wOWSNJmQN
— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) January 6, 2025
Last but not least, on behalf of all Jets fans around the world, especially those who like to take the team each week in their NFL picks and predictions, while I love a little dose of Rex Ryan here and there, he should not be considered a candidate for the job.
It doesn’t matter how much he yaps about wanting the gig; that will never be a good move to make. As a potential DC maybe, but as head coach, never.
Just a thought:
No one but the #Jets are really interested in Rex Ryan, & he’s said he wants to get back into coaching
Do you think he would take the defensive coordinator job❓ pic.twitter.com/LlAKLrHanj
— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) January 7, 2025
I don’t know if my point came through strongly enough, so let me reiterate: Rex = N-E-V-E-R!
