The search for the next head coach and general manager of the New York Jets is officially underway and the team will seize the moment.
Sources told CBS Sports that the Jets hope to interview candidates for at least the general manager position before the end of the regular season, looking to take advantage of the advantage the team has in its searches following the firing of Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas.
Sources expect a strong search from the Jets, who are looking to hire both positions simultaneously for the first time since 2015. Team owner Woody Johnson will lead the search ahead of what many expect to be another appointment for the Trump administration, after the which to hand over daily control to his brother, Christopher.
It’s unclear if the Jets will hire a general manager first and then a head coach, as is customary. The first signs are that both searches will develop in parallel, at least at first.
The Jets are unlikely to employ a traditional search firm, but there is a belief that the team will use an advisor (or multiple advisors) with sports executive experience. The Jets have used this model in previous years and it has been popular throughout the league. The Commanders, for example, hired former Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers while working with former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman last year before choosing Adam Peters as their general manager.
The Jets cannot interview a candidate who is currently employed by another club until the end of the regular season. This applies to coaches and executives, as well as candidates who work as consultants. So someone like former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel wouldn’t be allowed to interview with the Jets until the end of the Cleveland Browns’ season, but someone like Jon Gruden could walk into One Jets Drive and sit down for an interview. interview as the season unfolds.
Part of the reason for interviewing as the season progresses is to get a head start in the search. Another reason is for the search group led by Johnson to begin getting representatives. Due to his previous stint as the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom, Johnson has not been part of a head coaching or general manager search in a decade when the Jets hired Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan in 2015.
An early review of the climate at Florham Park shows the Jets could lean toward a coach and general manager with experience in those roles. The idea is that the Jets will want to minimize risk in their next hires while following the best path to success. Veteran, proven leadership might be less of a projection than a rookie. Of course, it’s still very early in the process.
There has been some outside discussion about the Jets establishing a position similar to that of a football czar: someone to serve as a buffer between ownership and football operations. Chris Spielman has played that role in Detroit, for example. No matter how solid the idea is, a fountain poured cold water on it. Johnson “would have to want and honor that to happen,” a source said.
Before interviews occur, members of the Jets organization who will participate in the search process will be required to complete league-mandated diversity hiring training. Once completed, the Jets will be able to interview anyone who is not on a team. There are more options at GM that are not currently employed than there are at head coach. Bill Belichick will not interview for the Jets job.
GM interviews for candidates currently working elsewhere may begin in-person as soon as the regular season concludes. Interviews with coaches employed by other teams could begin about three days later and would be virtual. In-person interviews with coaches employed by other teams will not begin until after the divisional round of the playoffs. Due to the restrictions, for all intents and purposes, the Jets will not hire a new head coach before January 20.
How attractive would these jobs be? It depends on who you ask. Everyone will always say that there are only 32 of these jobs. There could be seven or eight head coaching positions open this cycle, while there could be between two and five general manager positions open.
Sources believe the Jets will pay well and there is an opportunity to build the team in their own image with some good young talent. And there is a chance to get a new quarterback.
The Jets have not decided on Aaron Rodgers for the 2025 season, and any decision would be mutual with the new regime. But it strains credulity that Rodgers would return for his age-41 season. The overwhelming belief around the league is that the Jets will designate Rodgers as waived after June 1 next offseason.
“I can’t imagine any general manager or coach coming in and dealing with that,” said one rival executive.
There is also the question of ownership. The Athletic reported This week, Johnson questioned whether Rodgers should have been benched earlier in the season, and sources have indicated that he has publicly mulled that question at other times this season as well.
If Johnson’s penchant for dabbling in the football business is a concern for potential candidates, a potential return to the UK could be seen as a plus for job seekers. Johnson would be aware of major developments, but there could be an Atlantic Ocean separating Johnson’s football people for the next four seasons.
