Getty Image
Rex Ryan reportedly interviewed with the New York Jets on Tuesday, January 7. And based on his comments the day before, the former HC of the NYJ is feeling supremely confident about landing the gig for the second time.
Now working at ESPN as an NFL analyst, Rex Ryan was the head coach of the Jets from 2009 to 2014 and led the team to consecutive AFC title games in his first two seasons. Since his firing, the Jets have yet to qualify for the playoffs, as the franchise’s current playoff drought is at 14 years and counting.
Ryan has been campaigning for the job for months now and will be getting his shot to make his case in front of team owner Woody Johnson, who is reportedly looking for an experienced head coach to take over the role.
Speaking on ESPN New York‘s radio show DiPietro & Rothenberg on Monday, Ryan — as he’s long been known to do — pounded his chest with serious bravado as he decreed himself the best candidate for the role.
“Oh, 100%. Absolutely, I do. And the reason I think I’m going to get it is because I’m the best guy for it. It ain’t close,” Ryan said when asked if he believes he’ll be the Jets next head coach.
“The thing you have to do is, you have to connect with your football team, you have to connect with your fan base. The way they play, that’s the most important thing. It’s not just the Xs and Os and all that. This (Detroit Lions offensive coordinator) Ben Johnson, I love him, I absolutely love him, but I’m a better candidate for this job than he would be.”
Rex Ryan will interview with the #Jets tomorrow, and he loves his odds of getting the job.@HDumpty39 | @RothenbergESPN
LISTEN: https://t.co/jLsa28DGEc. pic.twitter.com/WcGl1oXsDS
— DiPietro & Rothenberg (@DRonESPN) January 6, 2025
During his six seasons as Jets head coach, Ryan posted a regular season record of 46-50 and a postseason record of 4-2. He also spent two years as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2014 to 2016.
The crux of Ryan’s case for being re-hired as the Jets head coach seems to be that he genuinely cares about the Jets and its fanbase, which is something that no other candidate can provide. He also has a history with Johnson, suggesting he may now how to deal with the notoriously meddlesome owner better than most.
And as a Jets fan myself, it’s certainly difficult to disagree with that point: Ryan was supremely passionate about the organization when he was in the job and has clearly remained so since. Does that make him the most qualified candidate? Absolutely not. But it would also bring the franchise something it definitely needs right now, and that’s some soul.