Why Reuniting With Rex Ryan Would be a Mistake for Jets
The 2024 New York Jets season will go down as one of the biggest failures in sports history. From the hype to the talent to ultimately, the embarrassment. The Jets began to spiral early in the season, and Woody Johnson fired then head coach Robert Saleh and promoted defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to the top spot in hopes of generating a spark for the team. That spark did not come.
So, with the Jets all but set for a rebuild and a new regime taking over, I thought I could spend the second half of the season looking at potential coaching candidates for gang green in 2025. It’s not like there will be plenty of good football to discuss on these pages.
So, with that in mind let’s get to our first candidate: Rex Ryan.
When the Jets got rid of Bob Saleh, I wrote a piece showcasing some of the names I thought the Jets would seek out when the inevitably got to their coaching search, and Rex Ryan’s name was not on the list. But in an appearance with on the “DiPietro and Rothenberg Show” on ESPN New York, Ryan was asked if he would take the job if he was called.
“Oh, I’d do it in a second because I am a New York Jet. I absolutely would,” Ryan responded. “I’m not here to politic, and it seems like it because I tell the truth and I speak as a fan of this football team and this community. That’s why it makes sense. So, yeah, we’ll see. I hope I get an opportunity to interview for it. That’s absolutely a given. I hope I get that opportunity.”
Ryan was the Jets’ head coach from 2009-14. He compiled a 46-50 record and was fired after a 4-12 finish in 2014. However, the Jets finished at least .500 in four of Ryan’s six seasons. The highlights were his first two years when the Jets reached back-to-back AFC Championship Games after four upset victories on the road. The Jets’ shocking 28-21 victory over the Patriots in the 2010 AFC Divisional remains their last playoff victory, and 2010 was their last postseason appearance.
