potential coaches from the athletic

[rangerous]

here is a list of potential coaches for the jets next season.  can't say who i would chose beyond vrabel at this point.  i think flores would be interesting.  he always showed a lot of fire and wasn't afraid of the players.  who knows, ulbrich might still turn things around.  doubtful because so far he's been pretty slow making some personnel moves that saleh wouldn't make.  interesting that ben johnson isn't on this list.

Jets head coaching candidates: From Vrabel to Ulbrich, Ben Johnson to Rex Ryan

By Zack Rosenblatt

5h ago

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As the New York Jets barrel toward their 14th straight season without a playoff appearance, it feels like the right time to start thinking about their future. It’s entirely possible (if not likely) that the Jets will be seeking, at minimum, a new head coach, quarterback and general manager. But only one of those jobs is technically open at this very moment.

Even if interim coach Jeff Ulbrich takes the Jets on a remarkable 7-2 or 8-1 run to close the season — earning an unlikely playoff berth in the process — the Jets would still have to conduct a search anyway. Ulbrich can at least fight his way into consideration if the team shows any signs of life over the next nine weeks.

More likely, owner Woody Johnson will want to bring in some fresh blood, and a new approach, for his next head coach. Here’s an early look ahead at 19 candidates for the job (and no, you will not find Bill Belichick’s name on this list).

The interim coach

Jeff Ulbrich
The early returns haven’t been stellar since Ulbrich took over, though he entered a difficult situation when Johnson fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. Ulbrich, out of nowhere, had to learn to do something he’s never done (head coach) in the middle of a season (in the middle of a game week, actually) while continuing to serve as defensive coordinator. He’s highly respected in the building and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone with a bad word to say about him. He (along with Saleh) built the Jets into one of the NFL’s best defenses in his time as coordinator. But the Jets have looked unprepared at times (especially on offense) and the defense has taken a step back since he took head-coaching duties. There’s still time to fix that narrative and at least give Ulbrich a shot at some head-coaching interviews, with the Jets or with a different team.

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Former NFL head coaches

Mike Vrabel (current Cleveland Browns coaching/personnel assistant, former Tennessee Titans head coach)
It felt this way at the time and even more now: The Jets made a mistake not firing Saleh in the offseason and pursuing Vrabel, an ideal fit for what the franchise needs. That move would have made even more sense considering there are three former Titans assistants already on this coaching staff. The Jets didn’t actually believe Vrabel would consider them — or that he’d even be available for them to consider. If not for Jim Harbaugh, Vrabel might’ve secured the Chargers job. He interviewed for the Falcons and Panthers jobs too.

Vrabel should be viewed as the best available candidate because of his track record, and the respect he commands as a longtime NFL linebacker. He won at least nine games in his first four years as Titans coach, making the playoffs in three of them; he made it to the AFC championship game in his second year. The Titans rarely had an overly-talented roster, but Vrabel’s teams were known for their toughness and preparedness, and he often had them overcoming subpar quarterback play.

In Vrabel’s six seasons in Tennessee, the Titans went 54-45 and ranked 15th in offensive EPA and 17th in defensive EPA. In those six years, they also ranked ninth in scoring defense, 14th in offensive EPA per play, second in rushing offense, fourth in rushing defense and first in red-zone efficiency. Vrabel is a lock to find a job this offseason. He might have more appealing options than the Jets, but expect him to at least take an interview.

Pete Carroll (former Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and Jets head coach)
He’s 73 years old, so this wouldn’t necessarily be a long-term hire, but if the Jets’ next coach is to establish a better culture, Carroll wouldn’t be a bad option. Though he might have a poor taste in his mouth from his first tenure as Jets coach in 1994, when he was fired after one season (though that was when Leon Hess still owned the team). In 14 seasons as Seahawks coach, Carroll never won fewer than seven games, and only won fewer than nine three times.

Kliff Kingsbury (current Washington Commanders offensive coordinator, former Arizona Cardinals head coach)
Kingsbury, a former Jets backup quarterback, was once the apple of the franchise’s eye, interviewing for the head-coaching job in 2019. He instead landed in Arizona, while the Jets hired Adam Gase. In four years Kingsbury went 28-37 with the Cardinals, including an 11-6 record and playoff berth in 2021. Arizona was a bit of a disappointment during his tenure, but he’s experiencing a resurgence while coaching a rising star quarterback (Jayden Daniels) with the Commanders, who have the third-best scoring offense in the NFL. Saleh actually spoke to Kingsbury about joining the Jets’ offensive staff in the offseason.

Brian Flores (current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, former Miami Dolphins head coach)
Flores might have worn out his welcome in Miami, though the Dolphins were successful with him — two winning seasons in three years. He has turned the Vikings defense from one of the NFL’s worst (28th in points allowed in 2022) to one of the best (eighth in scoring in 2023 and ’24 combined) over his two seasons. The Jets have had discipline/accountability issues, but Flores is a culture setter. Would Johnson want to hire another defensive coach, though?

 

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College coaches

Matt Campbell (Iowa State head coach)
The Jets pursued him in 2021 (before hiring Saleh) but he ultimately opted to stay at Iowa State. Campbell has drawn consistent interest from the NFL and the Cyclones (7-0) are having a great season. As a bonus, the Jets’ roster has three notable ISU alumni he coached: Breece Hall, Will McDonald and Allen Lazard. Would Campbell want to leave for the NFL?

Ryan Day (Ohio State head coach)
The most successful college-to-NFL transitions tend to come from coaches who have NFL pedigrees. Day was the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach in 2015 and the 49ers’ QBs coach in ’16. At Ohio State, he developed Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud into first-round picks, as well as a host of talented skill players including Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson.

Deion Sanders (Colorado head coach)
Jets owner Woody Johnson wants to sell tickets above all else, and Sanders is about as flashy as coaching candidates come. The prospect of pairing Sanders with his son Shedeur, a potential first-round quarterback, might appeal to the Jets owner. That’s not to say this would be a good idea — it would become an even bigger circus around here. But it can’t be ruled out completely.

 

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NFL offensive coordinators

Ben Johnson (Detroit Lions offensive coordinator)
He remains the most sought-after head coaching candidate in the league. Johnson could have taken a job last offseason but pulled himself out of the running to continue his journey in Detroit. The Lions have the NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense in his three years as coordinator and the No. 2 offense in terms of yardage. He’s unlocked quarterback Jared Goff’s potential and found a perfect balance between a productive rushing and passing attack. He’ll have better options than the Jets — but they will pursue him.

Bobby Slowik (Houston Texans offensive coordinator)
On one hand, he’s a young, up-and-coming coach who was a head-coaching candidate last year. Slowik has helped turn quarterback C.J. Stroud into star, is known to be a creative play-caller and the Jets might desire an offensive coach. On the other hand, he comes from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, like Saleh (and Saleh’s first offensive coordinator, Mike LaFleur), which might scare Johnson off.

Klint Kubiak (New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator)
Another coach from the Shanahan tree, he’s also the son of Gary Kubiak, considered one of the more innovative offensive coaches in the modern NFL. The Saints got off to a fast start this season but things have fallen off as injures piled up, particularly quarterback Derek Carr. Still, Kubiak is a respected offensive mind and young (37). Saleh interviewed him to be offensive coordinator before the 2023 season.

Wes Phillips (Vikings offensive coordinator)
The 45-year-old is a disciple of Sean McVay — he coached with him in Washington and with the Rams — and is now working with Kevin O’Connell, one of the NFL’s best play-callers. Phillips doesn’t call plays but has coaching bloodlines (his father is Wade Phillips, a longtime NFL coach) and has been around some of the better cultures in the NFL between Minnesota and the Rams. He’s helped unlock Sam Darnold’s potential too, which the Jets never did.

Todd Monken (Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator)
The 58-year-old interviewed for the Jets’ head-coaching job in 2019 and for their offensive coordinator job before the ’23 season. Since the Ravens hired him last year, Baltimore ranks second in yardage, second in scoring, first in rushing, eighth in third-down conversions and first in red-zone efficiency.

Adam Stenavich (Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator)
The 41-year-old doesn’t call plays for Green Bay but has a unique background as a coordinator: He was an offensive line coach and helped build the Packers’ unit into one of the league’s best before a promotion to offensive coordinator in 2022. The Packers have the fourth-lowest sack rate against them since 2019, which was Stenavich’s first year as O-line coach. If the Jets decided to stick with Rodgers, he has a relationship with Stenavich too.

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NFL defensive coordinators

Aaron Glenn (Lions defensive coordinator)
This would be a cool reunion. Glenn was a Pro Bowl cornerback for the Jets from 1994-2001 and has become one of the NFL’s best defensive coordinators since taking the Lions job in 2021. He’s interviewed for a few head-coaching jobs over the last few years and it feels like this offseason he’ll get a real shot at a head gig. In 2024, the Lions rank eighth in points allowed, eighth in EPA per play and first in third-down defense.

Anthony Weaver (Dolphins defensive coordinator)
It was somewhat surprising when the Ravens promoted the inexperienced Zach Orr to defensive coordinator instead of Weaver, previously Baltimore’s defensive line coach and an assistant head coach, this offseason. So Weaver left for the defensive coordinator job on Mike McDaniel’s staff. It’s been a weird season for Miami but the defense has played well, ranking sixth in yardage, second in third-down defense and fifth in passing defense. He was a longtime NFL defensive end and came up on the same Texans coaching staff as Vrabel, under Bill O’Brien.

Jesse Minter (Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator)
He is a rising defensive coordinator in the Mike Macdonald vein. Like Macdonald, Minter started by thriving as the University of Michigan’s defensive coordinator, and that success has carried over into his first year with the Chargers. Los Angeles’ defense — a disaster last year — is one of the league’s best in 2024. They rank eighth in yards allowed, 11th in rushing defense, ninth in passing defense, 11th in sack rate, fifth in third-down defense and fourth in red-zone defense.

 

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Wild cards

David Shaw (Denver Broncos personnel executive, former Stanford University head coach)
He’s a bright football mind who found a lot of success at Stanford, though they faded toward the end of his tenure. Shaw interviewed for a couple head coaching jobs last year and is learning some things on the personnel side with Denver this season — which isn’t the worst training for a potential NFL head coach. He was also an NFL assistant coach, with the Eagles, Raiders and Ravens from 1997-2005.

Rex Ryan (former Jets and Buffalo Bills head coach)
He was the last Jets coach to have actual success — they haven’t been back to the playoffs since Ryan was fired in 2014. Things weren’t great by the end of his tenure, but it’s undeniable that the Jets haven’t come close to the magic of Ryan’s 2009 and ’10 runs to the AFC title game — both with Mark Sanchez at quarterback. Ryan has openly admitted he’d like to come back, though his only real shot is if no one else of note is willing to take this job.

[SomebodytoAnybody47]

Vrabel, Carroll and Monken are my top choices. 

After that - I think Aaron Glenn has potential to be a pretty good leader.

[Barry McCockinner]

Vrabel all day.

No first time HC. Carroll is 102 years old. I love Rex but he hasn't been in the game in a long time and really stunk on the personnel side. He would have been a great interim HC solution for this year though.

[sciond]

Team Rex

[peebag]

 

[Ecuadorian Jet]

Vrabel

Kingsbury

Flores

In that order. 

[maury77]

I don't think there is any chance in hell that Vrabel (as a Bellichick disciple) will even accept an offer to interview for the Jets job. 

[Rich Thornburgh]

Rex or Reich

[maury77]

At the risk of getting a lot of thumbs down, I'm intrigued by the idea of bringing in McCown as an offensive coordinator (if not HC). 

[Rich Thornburgh]

1 minute ago, maury77 said:

I don't think there is any chance in hell that Vrabel (as a Bellichick disciple) will even accept an offer to interview for the Jets job. 

Belichick is telling all his guys stay away from Woody.  And does he even need to do that at this point?

[Rich Thornburgh]

1 minute ago, maury77 said:

At the risk of getting a lot of thumbs down, I'm intrigued by the idea of bringing in McCown as an offensive coordinator (if not HC). 

No I totally agree.  Especially if we bring back Rex I always thought McCown was a future potential coach even when he was still playing 

[FidelioJet]

Kingsbury is the right choice.

[The Crusherer]

3 minutes ago, Rich Thornburgh said:

Belichick is telling all his guys stay away from Woody.  And does he even need to do that at this point?

Yep, we are firmly in the coach that nobody else wants pool. 

[slats]

30 minutes ago, rangerous said:

Ryan has openly admitted he’d like to come back, though his only real shot is if no one else of note is willing to take this job.

So I guess it’s gonna be Rex, then. 

[The Crusherer]

1 minute ago, FidelioJet said:

Kingsbury is the right choice.

You think he’s leaving The Jaylen to come here and coach a guy who could have gone to high school with? I hope not, he’s killing it with The Jaylen. 

[ChewyandtheJets]

Is it just me or does whole discussion just make you want to puke?

[The Crusherer]

1 minute ago, slats said:

So I guess it’s gonna be Rex, then. 

That escalated quickly 

[FidelioJet]

8 minutes ago, The Crusherer said:

You think he’s leaving The Jaylen to come here and coach a guy who could have gone to high school with? I hope not, he’s killing it with The Jaylen. 

First off, I think Rodgers is gone after this year.

And yes, these guys very rarely turn down HC jobs to keep their OC jobs.   With that said, for him to come - two things would have to be in the Jets plan.

1) Rodgers is gone

2) They are drafting a QB in the first round

Assuming those two are on the table and the new GM isn't a terrible choice then Yes - I believe Kingsbury would come here. 

 

[Beerfish]

Zero interest in Vrabel and any of the defensive coaches, zero.

Kingsbury as an existing coach or any of the offensive coaches listed.

[heymangold]

if AR leaves this becomes a good job.  probably a top 10 pick, good amount of cap space.  only deterrence is woody johnson.

[The Crusherer]

11 minutes ago, FidelioJet said:

First off, I think Rodgers is gone after this year.

And yes, these guys very rarely turn down HC jobs to keep their OC jobs.   With that said, for him to come - two things would have to be in the Jets plan.

1) Rodgers is gone

2) They are drafting a QB in the first round

Assuming those two are on the table and the new GM isn't a terrible choice then Yes - I believe Kingsbury would come here. 

 

Yeah, but of course there are 0 The Jaylen’s in this draft. Booo Booooo! 

[Dunnie]

Pssssst .... It doesn't matter.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[Adoni Beast]

Would love: Vrabel, Carroll, Monken

Would be happy with: Kingsbury, Flores

[Bronx]

No more ex-gfs on the team please!  Give us an OC for a change, tired of all these DCs busting.  

[RoadFan]

22 minutes ago, heymangold said:

if AR leaves this becomes a good job.  probably a top 10 pick, good amount of cap space.  only deterrence is woody johnson.

That’s a big deterrent…

[Bleedin Green]

31 minutes ago, maury77 said:

I don't think there is any chance in hell that Vrabel (as a Bellichick disciple) will even accept an offer to interview for the Jets job. 

He's not a Belichick deciple at all though. That was just revisionist history trying to save BB from the fact that everyone from his tree, himself included, have been a disaster without the douchebag QB who shall not be named. Flores has actually been the only non-disaster of the bunch.

Vrabel had never coached a single day under BB, only as a player, which can also be said for Cowher and Todd Haley. That's simply never how coaching trees have been defined.

Don't get me wrong, there's still plenty of reasons for Vrabel to have zero interest in the Jets, but we cannot allow any undue credit to BB.

[Adoni Beast]

Just now, Bleedin Green said:

He's not a Belichick deciple at all though. That was just revisionist history trying to save BB from the fact that everyone from his tree, himself included, have been a disaster without the douchebag QB who shall not be named. Flores has actually been the only non-disaster of the bunch.

Vrabel had never coached a single day under BB, only as a player, which can also be said for Cowher and Todd Haley. That's simply never how coaching trees have been defined.

Don't get me wrong, there's still plenty of reasons for Vrabel to have zero interest in the Jets, but we cannot allow any undue credit to BB.

Vrabel will be looking for personnel control or the ability to hire his own GM that he can control. If we offer that I think we can get him here.

[Matt39]

Art Smith 

[SomebodytoAnybody47]

Just now, Matt39 said:

Art Smith 

[dr84]

One of the ideas that was brought up on the Badlands podcast was the idea of sort of following what the Bucs did.  They brought in the experienced offensive mind in Bruce Arians to come in for a few years while having the next H.C. in waiting with Bowles.  I would like the idea of doing something like this with Pete Carroll.  Let him be the H.C. for 3,4 years, get this org. going in the right direction and hand it off to the next guy. 

My other top choices would be Vrabel or Monken.

[playtowinthegame]

Bill Belichick in the front office, and Mike Vrabel for HC brings instant credibility to the Jets. 

[Creepy Lurker]

52 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

Zero interest in Vrabel and any of the defensive coaches, zero.

Kingsbury as an existing coach or any of the offensive coaches listed.

I just think it’s way too risky to have a defensive coach and a revolving door on offense when guys OCs are promoted. This team needs stability on offense and that comes from an offensive head coach. 

[Scotty Wooty Doo Doo]

Kingsbury or any of the OC's mentioned 

[bitonti]

13 minutes ago, Scotty Wooty Doo Doo said:

Kingsbury or any of the OC's mentioned 

whoever the next HC should be young ish and calling the plays from the sidelines

no more defensive head coaches and wonder why the offense sucks

 

[playtowinthegame]

1 minute ago, bitonti said:

whoever the next HC should be young ish and calling the plays from the sidelines

no more defensive head coaches and wonder why the offense sucks

 

 

I just want a CEO like head coach having his fingerprints on everything. A coach who can build a great staff and continue to develop younger position coaches. Someone who isn't afraid to tell it like it is. Look at John Harbaugh. A special teams coach. I really don't care what side of the ball they come from.