Good move. http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/je...s-hire-pepper-johnson-to-coach-defensive-line Spurned recently by the New York Giants, Pepper Johnson is back with the New York Jets. Johnson, who expressed his frustration last week after missing out on the Giants' defensive coordinator job, was hired Saturday to coach the Jets' defensive line. Johnson played for the Jets in 1997 and 1998 before embarking on his coaching career. He spent 14 years as a New England Patriots assistant before leaving the Bill Belichick nest last year to become the Buffalo Bills' defensive line coach. Johnson has no previous working experience with new coach Todd Bowles, but they share a mentor -- Bill Parcells. Johnson played for Parcells with the New York Giants and Jets; Bowles coached for Parcells with the Jets, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins. The popular former linebacker coveted the Giants' defensive coordinator position. He interviewed for the job, but it went to Steve Spagnuolo, who previously had won a Super Bowl ring as a member of Tom Coughlin's staff. "Moving away from the Patriots, spending a year in Buffalo, I was hoping it would open doors and open some eyes, that more people would be watching,” Johnson told the New York Daily News, "and [that some team] will give me a call before all this is said and done. "I feel bottled up," he said. "I have a lot of knowledge and a lot of information that I feel like I just have to keep to myself." Johnson steps into a great situation, as he will be in charge of the strongest positions on the team. The Jets' defensive line is led by Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, who will play Sunday night in the Pro Bowl. The Jets ended up swapping defensive line coaches with the Bills. Their former coach, Karl Dunbar, followed Rex Ryan to Buffalo. _
This puts me at ease about losing Dunbar for sure. That d-line had a great relationship with Dunbar, but Pepper should/will be a great replacement.
It sounds like this might be a guy we lose in a year or 2. I'm very happy with the hire. It sounds like we've been hiring great coaches. We will see though.
I prefer threads like this. I hate chasing and trying to follow themes in a giant mosh pit of everything but.
I'm telling you guys, I like the moves made in the coaching staff and front office a lot. A world of difference football knowledge wise, without the drama, the bravado and the circus. The cheaters have not had a chance yet to see what's going on in the division, but with time they will be unpleasantly surprised as to how much better we can be come game day. Funny thing, RR will for sure lit a fire under BB ass, so Buffalo will be the enemy as much as the Jets and equivalent in his shit list. Hope Miami comes to the party and helps deflate their overgrown egos. Yeh Bill, we are not here to kiss your under inflated balls any more.
Great hire! I think he's going to be even more motivated to show the Giants that they were wrong. I have questions about Dorrell and maybe another one or two of the offensive hires, but love the defensive hires and like the Gailey hire.