Tony Sparano: Former Dolphins Coach Will Get Jets Back to Ground-and-Pound Roots

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano will replace Brian Schottenheimer as New York Jets offensive coordinator, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Even though the fanbase won't be thrilled with the move, it was necessary to change the approach on offense.

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A week after Rex Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum maintained that Brian Schottenheimer would be welcomed back if he didn’t receive a head coaching job, the Jets essentially fired the maligned offensive coordinator on Tuesday night.

The team announced the move with a press release stating that “Schottenheimer informed the New York Jets today that he will not return for the 2012 season,” but make no mistake: Ryan didn’t want Schottenheimer to return for a seventh season as the team’s play-caller.

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Schottenheimer's play-calling decisions were borderline terrible throughout the season. That was especially true during early portions of the campaign when quarterback Mark Sanchez was asked to throw the ball more than 40 times twice in a three-game span.

Sanchez is not the type of signal-caller who can carry an offense and he never will be. He's a prototypical game manager. When supported by a strong running game and dominant defense, he can win some games. Without those factors, he's a dud.

By trying to pigeonhole Sanchez into a more balanced or even pass-happy offensive scheme, Schottenheimer proved he didn't have a good grasp on the New York offense. It's a unit that only has one route to success and neither of those options are it.

That's why he had to go regardless of whether or not he's able to find a new job elsewhere.

Sparano on the other hand is a rock-solid offensive mind who is much better served as a No. 2 behind a spotlight-stealing head coach like Rex Ryan than as the main man. He understands what the Jets offense needs to become and will tailor his game planning around that.

That, of course, is the rushing attack.

Led by Shonn Greene, it's a facet of the game that mixed tiny amounts of potency with a heaping helping of ineffectiveness during the season. It's a ratio which will need to improve moving forward.

Whether Jets fans like it or not, it appears Sanchez will be back under center for at least one more season. That means New York will need to revitalize its ground-and-pound mentality to make a return trip to the playoffs in 2012.

Sparano helped develop and implement the wildcat offense at the NFL level. He also turned Reggie Bush into a 1,000-yard back after the former New Orleans Saints star was cast off to Miami to make room for Darren Sproles.

So it's clear that Sparano knows what he's doing when it comes to building an offense around the running game.

Sanchez will be much more effective once that aspect of the offense is reestablished. It will force defenses to pack the box, which will open up passing lines, and should also help the play-action pass be a more useful weapon.

It's not a hire that will turn heads or earn the Jets league-wide praise, but it's a smart move that should pay immediate dividends next season. If fans can ignore the name and just focus on Sparano's offensive track record, they might be surprised.

Above all else, it's important to give him a chance to prove his worth before writing him off as a terrible hire.