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Over the holidays, it was reported that Rex Ryan and Ron Rivera were set to be interviewed by the New York Jets for their open head coach position. Ryan is a particularly interesting name as he coached the franchise from 2009 to 2014, leading them to consecutive AFC title game appearances.
Further reporting from ESPN Jets beat reporter Rich Cimini indicates that the team hiring former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is “unlikely” and that current Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is a strong candidate.
Cimini, speaking on his Flight Deck podcast, even went as far as predicting that Glenn, a former Jets player, would be hired as the next head coach. The longtime Jets reported also predicted that Mike Borgonzi, the assistant general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs, would be the next team’s general manager.
Based on Cimini’s latest reporting, the three current candidates for the Jets’ open head coach position are Rex Ryan, Ron Rivera, and Aaron Glenn. Glenn, 52 years old, was drafted by the New york Jets with the 12th overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft and was named to two Pro Bowls during his time with the team before being taken by the Houston Texas in the 2002 expansion draft.
Per @RichCimini:
-Vrabel unlikely
–#Jets don’t see offensive candidates as standouts.
-Predicts Aaron Glenn/Mike Borgonzi (KC) as HC/GM.
-Glenn much more likely to #Jets than Saints.
-Parcells says Glenn will be great & hold guys accountable.
⏬️https://t.co/h4D0WNcUEP pic.twitter.com/9OJn0qwSzF— Play Like A Jet (@Playlikeajet1) January 1, 2025
Whoever the Jets hire as their next general manager and head coach face a monumental task as the team is in the midst of a 14-year-long playoff drought, which is the longest active postseason drought in all the of four major American sports leagues.
Teams like the Detroit Lions (and this year, the Washington Commanders) have proven in recent years that a franchise’s fortune can turn around in just a season or two if the right head coach is hired and is able to find an effective quarterback they believe in.
Heading into Week 18, for example, the Washington Commanders — one of the NFL’s most dysfunctional organizations of the last two decades — have an 11-5 record and have already clinched a playoff birth despite having a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels and first-year head coach in Dan Quinn (Quinn isn’t a rookie coach, however, having previously lead the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl, infamously blowing a 28-3 lead to the Patriots).