One day after firing third-year head coach Eric Mangini, the New York Jets have set out to do the impossible—make Bill Cowher their new head coach in 2009.
Only days after Cowher declined a potentially lucrative opportunity with the Cleveland Browns, the Jets' front office has been working diligently to discover what Cowher needs to leave the confines of CBS' studio on Sunday afternoons and return to football.
Discussions on New York talk radio have rotated around Cowher and how well he would fit in New York if he were to accept the position.
Early reports from ESPN's John Clayton indicated that Cowher would not interview for the Jets' position because he "wanted his own personnel person."
Since those reports, Jets officials have said they are willing to let Cowher replace GM Mike Tannenbaum, and sources close to Tannenbaum say that he is open to taking on a reduced role with the organization.
Learning that Cowher would only return to coaching in 2009 for the right situation, the Jets are looking to find how many ways they can accommodate the Chin.
Working in New York and being close to his daughters is something Cowher is very interested in, and it's now the Jets job to make it work for him.
It would be a strong move by the Jets given the names being thrown around as candidates for the vacant post. Former coach of the Minnesota Vikings and current Jaguars assistant head coach Mike Tice has received an endorsement from Bill Parcells as a good option.
Aside from Tice, other potential coaches are Leslie Frazier from the Vikings, Steve Spagnuolo of the Giants, and current assistants Brian Schottenheimer and Bill Callahan.
While all of them would bring many positives to the New York Jets organization, none would be as significant as hiring Bill Cowher.
If the skeptical fans are right and the Brett Favre move was an effort to increase fan excitement on the eve of personal seat licenses in the new stadium, then acquiring Bill Cowher will make him the Brett Favre to Mangini's Chad Pennington.
But more important than the business aspect of the game is Cowher's actual knowledge of football, and the experience and reputation he will bring to a New York Jets team in desperate need of a true head coach.
Eric Mangini preached discipline during his three years with New York, but never worked on passion and intensity—qualities one can immediately identify with Bill Cowher.
Angel Navedo covers the New York Jets for Examiner.com. His work can also be found on NYJetsFan.com, where he is the Head Writer, and on MyGridironSpace.com—a premier social networking site built exclusively for NFL fans.
He is also a Senior Writer at the Bleacher Report, where he is one of the New York Jets Community Leaders.
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