Getty Image
The New York Jets are in such a dire desperate state of desperation that most of the names being floated as their next head coach are their past head coaches, namely Rex Ryan, who was the Jets head coach from 2009 to 2014 and has been publicly campaigning for the job. Another name to keep an eye on, according to NFL insider Dianna Russini, is former Jets head coach Eric Mangini, who was with the team from 2006 to 2008.
Dianna Russini has been in the thick of the reporting about the Jets’ meltdown this season and recently detailed where the franchise could go from here. In her weekend column for The Athletic, Russini suggested that Eric Mangini — currently an NFL analyst for Fox Sports 1 — could be a potential candidate for the Jets.
Mangini, 53 years old, last worked in the NFL as a defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 4ers in 2015. In addition to coaching the Jets, he also led the Browns to consecutive 5-11 seasons in 2009 and 2010.
“The Jets haven’t had a clear plan for winning both now and in the long term, and that’s exactly the kind of vision Mangini brought to the table when he coached the team from 2006 to ’08,” Russini reported for The Athletic during the Jets’ Week 12 bye week. “One of the toughest challenges in the NFL is figuring out how to compete in the moment while building a foundation for consistent success, and Mangini showed he could do both.”
“Sure, Mangini’s tenure wasn’t perfect, but his emotional intelligence, attention to detail, and ability to turn things around quickly left a lasting impact on the franchise. If the Jets really want to bring back someone who knows this organization and can lay a sustainable foundation, maybe it’s time to give the man once known as ‘Mangenius’ another shot. I’m told the Jets are open to all options at this point as they continue to gather information on who their top candidates will be,” she wrote.
Russini isn’t the only plugged-in NFL insider to suggest that the Jets could make the old new again, as ProFootballTalk said the idea of the franchise re-hiring Rex Ryan isn’t “crazy spitballing.”
“There’s a belief among some who know how Woody operates that, given the current state of the team, he might decide to try to recapture a little of the (almost) glory days, when Rex got the Jets within sniffing distance of a Super Bowl. It’s not just crazy spitballing,” Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported.
With the firing of Joe Douglas, the Jets have begun the process of searching for their next general manager, who will then lead the search for their next head coach. Given the situation surrounding Aaron Rodgers, it’s likely the Jets are looking for a new quarterback this offseason, too.