Former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is not letting go of the idea that he can rejoin the team.
When asked about his reaction to the New England Patriots hiring Mike Vrabel as their new head coach, Ryan responded, “I hope I get to kick his a** twice a year.”
While he played it for laughs, Ryan is still a legitimate consideration to lead the Jets against their AFC East rival next year. He recently completed an interview with the team, and reporters have suggested Ryan may have an advantage over other candidates based on his relationship with Jets owner Woody Johnson.
The last time the Jets made the playoffs was when Ryan led the team to the AFC Championship Game in 2010, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10. Ryan went 50-52 (including playoffs) in his six years as Jets head coach and constantly made headlines as a controversial figure in New York.
Since the Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh midway through the regular season, Ryan has been adamant he’s the best person for the job. He’s even gone so far as to call out Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers for instilling a “country club” atmosphere in the locker room.
He’s used his position as an analyst on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown to advocate for himself as the one to fix the Jets. The team certainly looks lost after putting all their chips on Rodgers to lead them to their first Super Bowl championship since 1969.
But Ryan seems like a misguided bet to make the Jets a true contender. It would be another shortsighted move by Johnson instead of taking the necessary steps to build a sustainable program. And with head coaching candidates like Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn out there, the Jets have better options for a head coach who knows what works in the NFL now — not what worked in 2010.
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