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Jets' Headhunter Is Key to Their Recovery

Jed Hughes is at once spearheading the Jets' search for a new general manager and remaining in the shadows.It is the nature of the job that Woody Johnson, the team's owner, hired him to do. On Dec. 31, Johnson announced that he had fired Mike Tannenbaum and that Hughes, who heads the sports practice of the global search firm Korn/Ferry International, KFY -0.89% would lead the hunt for Tannenbaum's replacement. Though close to a dozen candidates have reportedly either interviewed or been considered for the position, neither the Jets nor Hughes have commented on the situation, making it a challenge to gauge how close Johnson and the Jets' other power people are to making a decision.

The mood of this Jet fan may soon brighten if professional headhunter, Jed Hughes, is able to find a general manager capable of turning the team around.Still, Hughes's history as a sports headhunter does provide a bit of insight into how he might be conducting the search. A former Division I football coach at Michigan, Stanford and UCLA, and a former NFL assistant with the Vikings, Steelers and Browns, he is well known and well regarded among professional sports executives and college administrators. When Korn/Ferry announced his hiring in January 2012, the company called him "the world of sports' pioneer of senior-level search and organizational assessment." And his background gives him an advantage in placing the right person in the right position, said Larry Scott, commissioner of the PAC-12 Conference."He has an understanding of the football landscape and an understanding of the dynamics of that culture," said Scott, who had been the chairman and chief executive officer of the Women's Tennis Association when Hughes tabbed him in 2009 to lead the PAC-12. "He's got a great feel for a particular situation and people, and he's good at synthesizing their needs, getting them on the same page."

Through a spokesman, Hughes declined a request to be interviewed, but those who have been involved with some of his previous inquiries described his work as thorough, efficient and often surprising. Mark Murphy, president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, used Hughes to help him hire Tim Connolly, the franchise's vice president of sales and marketing, and Ed Policy, its vice president and general counsel. Murphy had a good reason for reaching out to Hughes. When the Packers had asked Hughes in late 2007 to find them a new president and CEO, he recommended they hire Murphy.It was a rather unusual suggestion. At the time, Murphy—a former All-Pro safety with the Washington Redskins—had been the athletic director at Northwestern University for five years. He met Hughes, who was working for the search firm Spencer Stuart then, at an NCAA conference when they appeared together in a panel discussion about diversity in football coaching. The two of them stayed in touch, and when the Packers reached out to Hughes, he contacted Murphy to gauge his interest in the position—even though Murphy had never been an NFL executive before.

The Packers hired him, and during his tenure, they have collected 10 wins or more in each of the last four seasons, including a victory in Super Bowl XLV and a league-best 15-1 record in 2011."I was an out-of-the-box candidate," Murphy said. "I'd played in the NFL, but that was a long time ago. That's what Jed is really good at. He really views his job now as similar to when he was a coach, in that he's trying to put people in positions where they can have success."Three years earlier, in 2004, Hughes helped Syracuse University hire Daryl Gross, the successor to the school's longtime athletic director, Jake Crouthamel. When he met with the university's search committee, Hughes gave each of the 10 members a list of 100 possible qualities in an effective athletic director, asking each person to pick his or her top three criteria in a candidate. He then asked each member again to select his or her three most valued traits in an AD, this time from the shorter list. "He was forcing a conversation about, 'What are you really looking for?'" said Syracuse economics professor Michael Wasylenko, who chaired the search committee.

The candidate whom the committee wanted, Wasylenko said, was "someone who was outgoing, externally oriented, someone who would hire people inside to do the day-to-day management. And we found him." As a senior associate athletic director at the University of Southern California, Gross had played a key role in the rise of USC's football program—he directed the search that led to coach Pete Carroll's hiring—and had overseen nine sports there."Jed got right to the point," Wasylenko said. "We said, 'The chancellor wants to move quickly.' He said, 'Look, I've worked with a lot of institutions. The holdup will not be on my end.' He was true to his word."Crouthamel had announced his retirement in mid-November. The university hired Gross in mid-December. The entire process took four weeks. The Jets are at 12 days and counting.

Write to Mike Sielski at mike.sielski@wsj.com

> http://online.wsj.co...SJ_topics_obama

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There is such a thing as being too thorough. Every day the pool dwindles and with each additional assistant coach hiring the desirability of the job wanes.

At least the new GM doesn't have to worry about bringing in a new HC. Plus we have a potential DC lined up within house if need be.

Hiring a new OC will be the first order of business for the GM. Which will be relatively meaningless if we don't find a QB anyways.

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There is such a thing as being too thorough. Every day the pool dwindles and with each additional assistant coach hiring the desirability of the job wanes.

Yes you´re right, but that lands on Woody who should have started the process sooner. We knew a long time ago that the season sucked and that Tanny should be fired.

Let the man prove us wrong by doing a great search.

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There is such a thing as being too thorough. Every day the pool dwindles and with each additional assistant coach hiring the desirability of the job wanes.

not so sure...these types are usually efficient...thought I read Woody used this firm to hire Glat...he's familiar...they're familiar with him...they need to find the right guy to help Woody reach his goal...I agree there is an impact on the assistant coaching hires...but those are lesser concerns...we cannot afford to get this hire wrong...the new guy's shelf life impacts the next 5+ years.

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At least the new GM doesn't have to worry about bringing in a new HC. Plus we have a potential DC lined up within house if need be.

Hiring a new OC will be the first order of business for the GM. Which will be relatively meaningless if we don't find a QB anyways.

Yes you´re right, but that lands on Woody who should have started the process sooner. We knew a long time ago that the season sucked and that Tanny should be fired.

Let the man prove us wrong by doing a great search.

not so sure...these types are usually efficient...thought I read Woody used this firm to hire Glat...he's familiar...they're familiar with him...they need to find the right guy to help Woody reach his goal...I agree there is an impact on the assistant coaching hires...but those are lesser concerns...we cannot afford to get this hire wrong...the new guy's shelf life impacts the next 5+ years.

Yes but the problem is that there is a defined hiring cycle for these jobs and extremely limited candidate pool--speed at least important as due diligence

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Yes you´re right, but that lands on Woody who should have started the process sooner. We knew a long time ago that the season sucked and that Tanny should be fired.

Let the man prove us wrong by doing a great search.

A real owner instead of hiring a headhunter(who by this account is basically a failed football coach) is making these inquiries ( if informally within NFL rules regarding tampering)earlier this season.And he knows before he fired Tannenbaum who his targets are, who might be inclined to take the job, who Wrecks Ryan can work with. The headhunter thing bespeaks a weak passive style of leadership. Which may be why he's in love witha loudmouth like Wrecks.
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I was thinking:

To work for Korn/Ferry International, do I send in my resume, or just wait for them to find me?

Then I figured:

Maybe the fact that I'm not hired yet means I'm underqualified, or ill-suited for the job.

Then I thought:

Damn they are good!!

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At least the new GM doesn't have to worry about bringing in a new HC. Plus we have a potential DC lined up within house if need be.

Hiring a new OC will be the first order of business for the GM. Which will be relatively meaningless if we don't find a QB anyways.

Except they will start interviewing candidates on Monday according to various reports. Doesn't seem like the GM will have much say in picking ANY coordinators.

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not so sure...these types are usually efficient...thought I read Woody used this firm to hire Glat...he's familiar...they're familiar with him...they need to find the right guy to help Woody reach his goal...I agree there is an impact on the assistant coaching hires...but those are lesser concerns...we cannot afford to get this hire wrong...the new guy's shelf life impacts the next 5+ years.

I think we are on the same page, don´t you? We just want the right man this time. And let it be done soon.

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Yes but the problem is that there is a defined hiring cycle for these jobs and extremely limited candidate pool--speed at least important as due diligence

I agree, the hiring has to be done the coming week.

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A real owner instead of hiring a headhunter(who by this account is basically a failed football coach) is making these inquiries ( if informally within NFL rules regarding tampering)earlier this season.And he knows before he fired Tannenbaum who his targets are, who might be inclined to take the job, who Wrecks Ryan can work with. The headhunter thing bespeaks a weak passive style of leadership. Which may be why he's in love witha loudmouth like Wrecks.

Didn´t know about that. But then he should have fired Tanny earlier.

I think we all agree that Woody knows nada about football so maybe in this case he´s doing the smart thing. Delegating the search to people he beleives can do it proper.

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Ranking team needs : New York Jets

nyj.gifThe AFC East blog continues its series this week on ranking team needs.

Next we have the inconsistent New York Jets, who finished 6-10 this season.

No. 1 need : Quarterback

Analysis : It's no secret the Jets are hamstrung at quarterback. New York must get very creative to solve its quarterback puzzle. The dilemma is the struggling Mark Sanchez is due $8.25 million in guaranteed money next season. The Jets will pay it whether Sanchez plays or not. Cutting Sanchez would be even worse because of the approximate $17 million cap hit. So Sanchez will be in consideration for a starting job with whoever else the Jets can afford at quarterback under a tight cap. Do not expect New York to go after a top free agent, because the team simply doesn’t have the money for it. A rookie draft pick competing with Sanchez could be a possibility.

No. 2 need : Wide receivers

Analysis : Who will catch passes from New York's quarterback next season? No. 1 receiver Santonio Holmes is returning from a season-ending foot injury. If Holmes returns back to form, that will be a good boost for the Jets. But who else can play receiver? Clyde Gates, Chaz Schilens and rookie Stephen Hill were all busts last year. That is why the Jets signed Braylon Edwards in the final month of the season. Hill has potential to make a jump in his second year, but that remains to be seen. The Jets need a more proven receiver opposite Holmes, and this is a good year to get a receiver in free agency.

No. 3 need : Safeties

Analysis : Both of the Jets' starting safeties are pending free agents who are not expected to return. New York veterans Yeremiah Bell and LaRon Landry both played well on one-year contracts. However, the Jets probably do not have the cap room to re-sign either player to a long-term extension. The Jets need to get younger and more athletic at safety. Expect this to be a focal point in the draft, where it is cheaper to improve the roster. New York would like Landry back, but he’s probably too expensive coming off a Pro Bowl season.

Honorable mentions : offensive line, tight end, linebacker

> http://espn.go.com/b...s-new-york-jets

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Jerry Angelo's greatest hits and misses

With former Bears GM Jerry Angelo in the running for the Jets' GM job, our colleagues at ESPN Chicago put together this compilation of his greatest hits and biggest flops during his 11-year stint in the Windy City.

Hits

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Lance Briggs

1. Trading for Jay Cutler. Angelo finally landed a potential franchise quarterback, sending two first-round picks and QB Kyle Orton to the Denver Broncos for a fifth-round pick and the 25-year-old Cutler in April of 2009. Cutler has been inconsistent during his four years in Chicago but is still the best quarterback the franchise has had since Sid Luckman in the 1940s.

2. Drafting Lance Briggs. Angelo struck gold in consecutive rounds of the 2003 NFL draft, selecting cornerback Charles Tillman out of Louisiana-Lafayette in the second round, 35th overall, and then picking linebacker Lance Briggs in the third round with the 68th pick. Mainstays on the Bears’ defense for the past 10 seasons, Tillman and Briggs thrived in Lovie Smith’s Cover 2 scheme.

3. Drafting Matt Forte. Three years after missing at running back by selecting Cedric Benson with the fourth overall pick, Angelo opted for Forte in the second round of the 2008 draft. A starter from Day 1, Forte has proven to be a versatile weapon with at least 929 yards rushing in each of his five seasons.

4. Hiring Lovie Smith. Angelo opted for one of the NFL’s top defensive coordinators when he hired his first Bears coach in 2004. Smith won 81 regular season games, three playoff games, three division championships, reached a Super Bowl and ended his Bears’ tenure as the third-winningest coach in franchise history behind George Halas and Mike Ditka.

5. Signing Julius Peppers. Angelo landed the biggest fish of the free-agent market in 2010, signing Peppers to a six-year deal with $42 million guaranteed.

Misses

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Dennis Wierzbicki

1. Drafting Chris Williams. Williams symbolized Angelo’s failure to put together a competent offensive line during his time in Chicago. The Bears invested a first-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft on Williams, who struggled at tackle and then guard before the Bears cut him prior to the 2012 season.

2. Drafting Michael Haynes. Drafted 14th overall in 2003, the Penn State product started just four games in three seasons. Angelo passed on defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Robert Mathis to select Haynes, who registered 5.5 sacks with the Bears.

3. Drafting Dan Bazuin. Angelo wasted a second-round pick in the 2007 NFL draft on Bazuin. Already a reach that high in the draft, Bazuin never played a down in the NFL because of injuries.

4. Having no backup quarterback in 2011. The Bears gambled that Cutler would stay healthy all season, electing to go with Caleb Hanie as his backup. But Angelo’s gamble was exposed when Cutler was lost for the season with a broken thumb and the Bears at 7-3. They lost five of their next six and missed the playoffs in Angelo’s final season.

5. Failing to acquire a No. 1 receiver. The Bears cycled through many receivers during Angelo’s tenure, never finding the No. 1 receiver that Angelo’s successor, Phil Emery, found in his first few months on the job when he traded for Brandon Marshall. He drafted nine receivers during his tenure, with Earl Bennett topping the list as the most productive.

> http://espn.go.com/b...hits-and-misses

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Bart Scott : Lack of 'quality players' sunk Jets in 2012

Linebacker Bart Scott has a solid theory about what sunk this year's New York Jets.

Finishing 6-10, the Jets underwhelmed weekly. Stories of a drama-filled locker room didn't help, but that's not what Scott pointed to this week."You can ask Tim Tebow. You can ask anybody in there. We were together," Scott told Showtime's 'Inside the NFL,' per The Star-Ledger. "There was never any complaining ... guys worked hard. You know what the problem was with the New York Jets this year? We didn't have enough quality players to win. Simple as that."

Jets owner Woody Johnson clearly agrees, having fired the man -- former general manager Mike Tannenbaum -- who picked players for the Jets during coach Rex Ryan's first four seasons with the team. New York has encountered troubles finding a front-office successor, which is clearly linked to some of the problems bubbling up in Florham Park, N.J.The quarterback situation is an overt mess, with Mark Sanchez locked into a guaranteed-money deal that makes him next to impossible to release or trade. The once-fearsome offensive line was a sideshow last season. The offense lacks skill players, filled instead with too many of Ryan's "guys," but not enough genuine difference-makers. (And Scott, himself, was no wonder.)

Then, of course, there's Ryan. A talented coach, but someone the next general manager must work with for at least another season. Johnson, slowly but surely, is running out of men to blame.

> http://www.nfl.com/n...nk-jets-in-2012

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The Jets finally may be ready to hire a general manager.

Seahawks vice president of football administration John Idzik reportedly is the Jets’ choice to replace Mike Tannenbaum, who was fired three weeks ago. ESPN reported Idzik could be offered the job as early as last night.Idzik is one of the 10 people known to interview for the job over the last two weeks. He had a second interview this week, as the team pared its list.

The Jets were expected to turn to someone with a personnel background to replace Tannenbaum, whose expertise was in salary-cap management and contract negotiation. But Idzik has a similar background. According to the Seahawks’ website, Idzik “oversees player negotiations, the team’s compliance with the NFL salary cap, player personnel transactions, all football operations budgets, staff and team contracts, team travel and most aspects of the day-to-day football operations while also remaining active in player evaluations.” League sources said Idzik’s involvement in player evaluations has been minimal, though. An interesting factor is Idzik represents the Seahawks at NFL meetings. Jets team president Neil Glat worked for the league before joining the Jets last year and could be familiar with Idzik through those league meetings.

Idzik has been with the Seahawks since 2007. Before that he spent three years as the Cardinals’ senior director of football operations. He has worked in the league since 1993, spending 11 years with the Buccaneers. A Detroit native, Idzik graduated from Dartmouth in 1982 with a degree in mathematics. He played wide receiver in college and later coached for a short time in college and abroad. Idzik has a family tie to the Jets. His father, also named John, was the team’s offensive coordinator from 1976-79. Idzik and Steelers executive Omar Khan had second interviews this week with the Jets. Idzik was not in the Jets’ initial group of candidates. Only after Dave Caldwell chose the Jaguars over the Jets did he get an interview.

If Idzik does get the job, the biggest question is how personnel decisions will be made. Jets owner Woody Johnson said last week the GM would have final say over personnel, not coach Rex Ryan. But Idzik’s hiring is going to be interpreted as Ryan still having power over the team’s roster. It will be interesting to see if the Jets revamp their personnel department and if someone with a scouting background will be hired as an assistant to Idzik. The Jets also have interviewed people from around the league about how to proceed. They have looked into how other organizations are structured and sought information on various philosophies.A source said last night that former Saints and Dolphins GM Randy Mueller interviewed for the job last week. He is the 10th person known to interview for the job.

> http://www.nypost.co...tm_content=Jets

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