With the talent-heavy Lions, Texans and, to a lesser extent, Vikings presumably looking for a head coach (along with less-talented teams like the Raiders, Redskins, Cowboys, Buccaneers etc.), would the top prospective head coaches pass over the Jets to vie for a better team/situation? If Rex is fired, how does Idzik and Woody ensure that his replacement is actually qualified for the job? How do they attract the most qualified coaches over the likes of the Lions and Texans who are more talented and, arguably, have a brighter future than the Jets? If we fire Rex, we absolutely must get someone who is a step up. It might be tough to do that this year when the best prospects will be flocking to the Lions and Texans for a perfect situation.
There are a bunch of reasons that some one would pass up some of the other jobs. There is a bright future for the Jets. Assuming we are looking for an offensive coach, he will have a ton of cap space to work with, a bunch of draft picks and not many players stuck on offense with large contracts. He will immediately be able to "put his stamp" on the offense, while still having a promising up and coming defense. But I agree with the rest of the post. If we do move on, gotta get an upgrade. That is no guarantee.
Any coach worth his salt would want an NFL job, except maybe Jacksonville, much more since if it is a NY Job. The only reason I could see a coach not coming, is because of the media spotlight.
A team that was predicted to win no more than 3-4 games has a chance to go 8-8. We have a great defense. We are set to be a good team for a while if we can get a good offensive draft.
I think it would depend on the new coach's mandate. If its to rebuild the offense, I can see offensive minded coaches being interested. If its to maintain the status quo, not only do I not see quality candidates for the HC job headed our way, I doubt if any quality FA's would bother either. I don't think the Jets are as attractive as they once were before the circus came to town. The brand has been damaged and Idzik's main job was to restore some cred to the franchise. Yeah, we have a great front 7 on D but the rest of the team is a train wreck and the front office is sketchy at best. Thank God Woody's money is green and humans generally are a greedy bunch. Sometimes, it seems to me that the Jets may not have any choice but to keep Ryan not because he's the best option, but because he might be the only option.
I think "only" option is a little dramatic. We can get somebody to step up; maybe a top Offensive Coordinator or somebody Idzik knows well. That said, if we can't get somebody who will be better than Rex (on offense along with the rest of the team), it is absolutely not worth it. I don't think anyone is in favor of "status quo" right now; honestly, even if we keep Rex and Marty, I believe that our offense will still be rebuilt and will look dramatically different next year. We will be getting offensive players from FA and the draft regardless of who is coaching. Rex isn't dumb enough to think that our 29th ranked offense is good enough. That said, change isn't always a bad thing. I just don't think we can get positive change when we're next to teams like the Lions and Texans.
If Rex goes the odds are pretty good the new HC will be somebody with ties to Idzik and Graves. Whatever else happens is unclear but I doubt Idzik will fire Rex to make a high profile signing that gives him less control over the situation. Forget the prominent college coaches because those guys are going to want a real say in the talent department. They're going to be looking for a Pete Carroll type deal where the GM functions as an adjunct of the HC instead of being truly independent. Forget the prominent out of work stars like Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher, they're both looking for GM/HC positions after having prickly relations with the FO in their last jobs. It's going to be a coordinator somewhere getting their first HC job or a retread HC with ties to Idzik and Graves who failed in their last job but are not damaged goods yet.
So either the 49ers OC, Seahawks OC or Ken Whisenhunt? Eh... I don't think it is the best interest of the Jets to hire ANOTHER defensive coach (Mike Zimmer). Those choices don't look too hot.
It's just kind of a messed up transition point this year. If Rex's Jets had lost a lot of games then expectations for next year would be much lower and a new HC would have some leeway as would Idzik. Instead the Jets over-achieved and so whoever comes in next year is going to be chasing a phantom and trying to beat an unreasonable number in the process.
Bill O'Brien isn't coming to the Jets unless he holds the balance of power over the front office. He's not going to the NFL to coach somebody else's team when he is already the effective GM and HC where he is at the moment. No reason he can't wait a year for a better offer and he likely will.
Good post. I'd add: Coaches may not want to go to the Lions because Stafford is the QB and he doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes. If they got rid of Stafford, they'd have to start over. Either way, that could make that job less appealing. Add in the headache that Suh can be, and the HC would have to live in Detroit a good-sized chunk of the year and that job may not be so appealing. In Dallas, the HC will have to deal with a meddling egomaniacal owner in Jerry Jones. I don't think I'd want that job just because of that. Then there's the enigmatic Tony Romo, and an aging defense. In Washington, the HC would have to deal with the meddling egomaniacal owner. Tampa Bay might be the most appealing spot. They have some talent on both sides of the ball, a decent young QB, but since he was a 3rd rounder and perhaps chosen by his predecessor, he might not feel any obligations towards keeping Glennon as the starting QB.
If the Jets were going to fire Rex, last year should have been the year. I think we would take a step back the next year - I mean I've heard of the whole take 1 step back, take 3 steps forward process - not sure if that would apply here. Another coach from the Belichick tree? Haven't we tried that with Mangini? How many coaches from that tree have proven to be successful? There are options out there - the only collegiate coach I really like is Shaw and he will not leave Stanford. He at least is knowledgeable on both sides of the ball
A new HC is going to have leeway either way. It's Idzik who will have heightened expectations if he fires Rex.
Why wouldnt he be given power within the organization? I think thats a given for any HC. The whole reason for firing Rex is to get an offensive minded coach (like O'Brien) who can actually lead the rebuild of the O. Plus, he played DE in the NFL so he has knowledge on the defensive side as well.
My expectations would be through the roof if he fires Rex. You better haul in a championship real quick with whomever it is you deem worthy of that job if its not Rex Ryan.
