Head Coach Help Wanted: Who Out There Is Right For The Jets?

The Jets have fired Eric Mangini, Favre is considering retirement, and some of his teammates are letting him know how they really felt about him after the team let the division slip away from their grasps.

So what can be done?

The Jets off season will be extremely dependant on what Favre does next and the person that is hired to coach the team.

The Situation 

Woody Johnson decided to axe Mangini only a few hours after an underwhelming performance against the Miami Dolphins.

Was it the right decision? Yes.

It became quite evident that Mangini didn’t really know how to handle Favre. That wasn’t the only problem Mangini had.

Down the stretch he inexplicably turned away from a rushing attack that was ninth in yardage in the NFL and totaled 19 touchdowns. The fact that Coles seemed to lose a step this season, Cotchery not being fast enough to get separation, and inexperience at the third widereciver spot didn’t help either.

Mangini, a former defensive coordinator, was also extremely conservative when it came to using the pass rush. Early in the season the Jets were getting to opposing QBs quite often, but towards the end of the season only three or four players would rush the QB.

Its possible that this was because Mangini wanted to make up for a sub par defensive backfield, but one of the best ways to stop the air attack is to pressure the QB.

There  will be plenty to think about in the coming off season.

The Solution

The coaching vacancy is the first thing that must be addressed obviously.

Cowher would have been a near perfect for this team. Historically a run heavy play caller and a defensive master, the Jets would have addressed they’re needs for coach. So who else is there?

Mike Shanahan was another good choice, but according to the New York Daily News, he too is not interested in the coaching gig. He’s always been able to build a good rushing attack.

Then there are defensive coordinators Steve Spagnuolo and Rex Ryan. While both are part of great defenses that also have pretty good offenses, neither have head coaching experience (much like Mangini).

The Jets don’t have too many viable choices and they’ll probably end up going with Spagnuolo or Ryan. Maybe not the greatest of prospects.