NFL Head Coaching Personalities Can Overshadow Competence
Apparently making bold, noxious predictions on TV, and owning a middling resume doesn’t get you hired in the NFL.
Per New York reporting, the Jets will not be hiring snowy-toothed ESPN GameDay pundit Rex Ryan, despite his obvious pining for the job on the weekly national TV broadcast. More than once in the past few weeks Ryan has used his GameDay pulpit to lobby for the job, with comments like, “when I get that job” (re3ferring to the open head coaching job in New York). When Mike Vrabel became one of the most obvious hires in recent memory with the New England Patriots last week, Ryan commented, “Hopefully I get to kick this guy’s ass twice a year.” Quickly adding, “By my team, not me personally.”
The Jets organization might just have been listening. Through sources, the team has dispelled rumors that Ryan will be overseeing operation Gang Green any time soon.
Ryan coached the Jets from 2009 to 2014. In those six seasons the team went 46-50. He then went to the Buffalo Bills and took a top five defense and dropped it to 19th in the league, going 15-16 during that tenure. With their quarterback situation up in the air (Aaron Rodgers is not expected back in a Jets uniform), and the traditional woes of the franchise, bringing back an unsuccessful coach, just because of his on-air personality, looks to be a decision not even the relatively incompetent owner Woody Johnson is willing to make.
Ryan is fond of quoting what he considers NFL genius from his father Buddy Ryan, who coached in the late 80’s and early 90’s (“like my father always said…”). The elder Ryan was a legendary character in the game…who went 55-55-1 in head coaching stints at the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals.
Having a media savvy personality as the face of your NFL franchise might be an alluring hire. Looks like the Jets will decide to go with a coach more attuned to the game of today with a record of winning.
Bill Burk's collective writing...and some other stuff. 