The New York Jets cannot wait for their disastrous season to end. Billionaire owner Woody Johnson impulsively fired head coach Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start. The Jets went 1-5 in their next six games without Saleh. During their bye week, Johnson fired general manager Joe Douglas who was relieved to finally jump off a sinking ship.
BetMGM currently offers a prop bet on the season-ending win total for the Jets, which is set at 4.5 Over/Under. According to look-ahead lines, the Jets are the betting favorite in only one game (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars) on their remaining schedule.
As a life-long Jets fan, I can attest to the utter misery that is associated with rooting for a franchise that personifies ineptitude. Fans were excited at the prospects for the 2024 season and thought the Jets were a Super Bowl contender with a healthy Aaron Rodgers and a top-notch defense. After a couple of games, the truth reared its ugly head. The Jets were still horrendous and nothing had changed for the “LOL Jets.”
It’s now time for a control-alt-delete of the entire coaching staff and front office. So, who will the Jets hire as their next head coach? Several names keep popping up including Rex Ryan, Jon Gruden, Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Mike Vrabel, and Matt Nagy.
Ben Johnson
Fans would love to have an offensive guru as the next head coach of the Jets considering (e.g. Herm Edwards, Rex Ryan, Todd Bowles, and Robert Saleh). Ben Johnson seems like the perfect candidate, but it’s a pipe dream. The offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions rejected head coaching offers in the offseason, and he remained in Detroit for a chance to win a Super Bowl with Dan Campbell. Johnson could secure any head coaching vacancy he wants to next season, especially if the Lions win the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for the Jets, Johnson is too smart to accept the suicide mission of coaching the Jets.
Second Chance Bet. Make your first deposit at BetRivers and place your first sports wager with real money. If your first wager loses, receive a Bonus Bet, equal to your stake, up to a maximum of $500. Bonus Bet will be awarded within 24 Hours of your qualifying wager settling as a loss.
Aaron Glenn
The former All-Pro cornerback with the New York Jets is currently the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. Just like Johnson, Aaron Glenn will field head coaching offers if the Lions win the Super Bowl. The Jets drafted Glenn in 1994 and he played eight seasons with Gang Green. He has deep ties with the organization which is why he’s on the short list of potential candidates. Glenn seems thrilled to coach the Lions, so why leave a functional organization to join a dumpster fire?
Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan turned around the Jets when he took over as head coach in 2009 and led Gang Green to back-to-back berths in the AFC Championship game. Fans point toward an 11-5 season in 2010 as the last time the Jets were good, and they have not made the playoffs since then. Despite an auspicious start with the Jets, Ryan missed the playoffs in the next four seasons. He amassed a 46-50 record as head coach before Johnson fired him in 2014 after a 4-12 year. Ryan is currently an analyst with ESPN, and he has been using his talking head status to heavily lobby for a return to the Jets. Many nostalgic fans would love to have him back. Will Johnson set aside his beef with Ryan to install the Rex 2.0 era?
Jon Gruden
Jon Gruden won a Super bowl with Tampa Bay in 2002, which was sandwiched between two stints with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. He has a career record of 117-112 as a head coach. The NYC media would take a quick shine with the quoteworthy Gruden until his schtick gets old and they turn on him. Based on the latest rumors out of Gotham, the Jets are also considering Gruden for a front-office job. At this point, Gruden feels more like Johnson’s backup plan if no one else wants the job.
New users can Get Your First Bet Back at Caesars Sportsbook. If your first cash bet loses, you’ll get it back as a Bonus Bet – up to $1,000.
Matt Nagy
As head coach of the Chicago Bears, Matt Nagy went 34-30 in four seasons. He returned to the Kansas City Chiefs to take over as their OC and they won the Super Bowl last season. Nagy hails from the Andy Reid coaching tree, and he’s on the list of ex-head coaches biding their times as an OC before they get another shot at a head coaching job.
Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel won the NFL Coach of the Year in 2021 and had a 54-45 record with the miserly Tennessee Titans. With the exception of Bill Belichick, Vrabel is probably the best available option. Vrabel won three Super Bowls as a linebacker with the New England Patriots in the early 2000s. He pivoted to coaching linebackers at his alma mater Ohio State when his career ended in 2011. He spent time as the DC with the Houston Texans before the Titans hired him in 2018.
Brian Flores
Teams do not want to play the Minnesota Vikings because of Brian Flores and his deceptive defensive schemes. If the Jets want a defensive-minded head coach, then Flores is their man. He’s one of the top defensive coordinators in the league and he has head coaching experience. He was let go by the Miami Dolphins a few seasons ago after a 24-25 record. Flores won four Super Bowls as an assistant coach with the New England Patriots and he’s highly regarded as a former disciple of Bill Belichick. Flores was born in NYC and went to high school in Brooklyn. He’s the only true New Yorker in contention for the job.
Kliff Kingsbury
Kliff Kingsbury is a former quarterback who piloted Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense at Texas Tech over 25 years ago. He coached at Texas Tech for six seasons and taught the Air Raid philosophy to a young Patrick Mahomes. The Arizona Cardinals hired Kingsbury in 2019, and he went 28-37-1 in four seasons before they fired him after the 2022 season. As the current offensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders, Kingsbury has a perfect situation with quarterback Jaden Daniels. He’d be foolish to make the move to the Jets who have limited options at quarterback next season.
Sign up at BetMGM and receive the Best Sportsbook offers Today!
Todd Monken
As the former offensive coordinator at Georgia, Todd Monken won back-to-back national championships with the Bulldogs. He returned to the NFL when he took over as OC of the Baltimore Ravens. Their high-octane offense is humming this season, and Monken will make multiple short lists for head coaching vacancies in both the NFL and NCAA.
Arthur Smith
The Atlanta Falcons parted ways with the offensively minded Arthur Smith after three consecutive 7-10 seasons. Smith returned to offensive coordinator duties when Mike Tomlin hired him to join the Pittsburgh Steelers. If Smith is a glutton for punishment and badly wants another head coaching gig, then he’ll join the Jets.
Doug Pederson
The Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to part ways with head coach Doug Pederson at the end of the season. Pederson won a Super Bowl as a backup QB behind Brett Favre in the 1990s, then won one as the head coach of the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles. Pederson is also from the Andy Reid coaching tree.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
