The New York Jets are searching for a new head coach and one of their potential options is one they are familiar with from the past. Current ESPN analyst and former Jets head coach Rex Ryan will reportedly interview with the team on Tuesday for the vacant position, according to NFL Network.
The Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas during the season and now have both roles to fill heading into the 2025 season.
Ryan led the Jets from 2009 to 2014, posting a 46-50 regular season record and 4-2 postseason record during that time. He then joined the Buffalo Bills as head coach from 2014 to 2015, before leaving coaching.
He has openly expressed his desire to return to his old job, saying: “I would like to [return to the Jets]There is no doubt about it.”
“I told everyone I would definitely be interested in that job, even though I have a great job,” Ryan said. “I think I have some unfinished business, especially with that franchise. That particular franchise, you know, my dad was there forever, he won a Super Bowl and it’s very close to me. I would go back to it if I thought I could make a difference. …and I think I could make a big difference with that team.”
The Jets are currently 4-12 and have struggled all season in all three phases. Things didn’t go as planned with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who could be playing his last football game, or potentially his last game with the team, on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Whoever comes in as the new HC will have a lot of decisions to make, including handling the QB situation, which is up in the air right now.
Ryan has a vision for the team and believes he could be the one to turn them into a winning team.
“I think if I took over, I’d be ready in about two minutes, because I think it starts with the passion and the energy that I would bring to that building and the mentality of ‘we’re not going to take any poop,’ either,” he said. “We’re going to kick your ass and we don’t care if you like it or not. But that comes with responsibilities and accountability on the part of that football team. I’ll take every bullet, I understand that. I want my players to play.” fast and I want them to be relentless.
He congratulated the team he sees in front of him, pointing out that he believes they play “with effort”, but he does not believe they play “with the enthusiasm that is needed.” If he came in to lead the locker room, Ryan believes “that would change in a second.”
“By the time he got there, he would change, and he would have to or the guy would be in the future,” Ryan said.
“He had a vision for the team and we weren’t going to take any shit,” Ryan said. “And that’s exactly what Dan Campbell is. And that’s what I think, the other thing is also getting a guy that connects with the fan base and all that. That’s why I want to be the next coach of the Jets.”
Ryan is not the only candidate interested in the challenge of turning the team around. The team has wasted no time and has already interviewed several candidates for both roles, interviewing former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera as well as former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich He is also expected to get an interview.
ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, Reese’s Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, former Titans general manager Jon Robinson and former Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff interviewed for the general manager position, according to the equipment.
