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It’s nothing personal against Aaron Glenn or any other candidates who have never been head coaches before, but IMO, at this time in Jets history, they need to hire somebody who has prior head coaching experience.
14 straight years out of the playoffs. This isn’t the time for them to bring somebody in who will need a year or two to learn on the job.
This isn’t about me. It never is, but it hit me the other day – I have not covered an NFL playoff game in 14 years.
The other day, I asked my radio partner on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Vic Carucci, long-time Bills writer, what it’s like.
That sounds like somebody being a wise guy, and to a degree perhaps it was, but it wasn’t 100 percent sarcastic. I’ve forgotten what the vibe and experience is like.
But more importantly, a lot of Jets fans might have as well.
While I don’t feel bad for myself. I love covering NFL football, playoffs or no playoffs, but I feel bad for the fans, and I also feel bad for the Jets’ staff.
Not talking about the football side as much as the business side. There are certain people I’ve known a long time, and you see them after so many of these losses, and you can see it’s taking a toll on them. Emotionally and psychologically, all this losing is beating the crap out of these staffers in so many different departments.
Just like the fans.
The Jets have a good roster.
This could be a quick turnaround if they hire the right people.
So it’s not the time for a hotshot coordinator with no head coaching experience.
They need to go with somebody, like Washington did with Dan Quinn, who was a head coach before, who steps onto the sidelines, not like a deer in the headlights in his first year. And also, not only not a deer in the headlights as far as in-game decisions, like clock management and overall game management, but also having learned from the first time around as head coach, like Bill Belichick did going from Cleveland to New England.
And another reason they need to go with experience is the Aaron Rodgers factor.
If he comes back, and they should want him to and he’s under contract. Watching college and pro playoff games over the last week, the franchise QB landscape is barren. Watching that last game of the year over again, wow, Rodgers was terrific. But it wasn’t just that game, but the first Miami game and the Jacksonville game, also late-season contests.
It’s quite possible if Rodgers sees the Jets hire a rookie head coach, he might retire.
You do not want to team a 41-year-old QB with a rookie head coach, especially this 41-year-old QB, with an IQ through the roof, who can’t deal with incompetence on the sideline.
So far, aside from Glenn, all the other interviews have been with coaches who have prior head coaching experience, like Ron Rivera, Steve Spagnuolo and Matt Nagy. Darren Rizzi and Jeff Ulbrich now have head coaching experience.
But this Nagy candidacy intrigues me. Born in New Jersey, he lived in Piscataway as a little kid before the family moved to Pennsylvania, he actually had a winning record during his four years as Chicago Bears head coach, 34-31, considering their recent history, that is somewhat impressive.
He’s had two stints learning under KC head coach Andy Reid, perhaps the NFL’s current best coach, before and after his time in Chicago. So he got two PhDs under the master.
He’s got a great offensive mind and an effusive personality.
I think he’s a stronger candidate than people realize.
But there should be no messing around this time with candidates who must learn on the job.
The Jets desperately need to hire a head coach who isn’t entering his first rodeo.
Speaking of not being his first rodeo, it’s probably best for them to hire a guy who has been a GM before, but this isn’t an absolute must, because if it’s a seasoned, long-time personnel guy, who has been involved in high-level personnel decision making in a winning organization for a long-time, you can win with that kind of guy.
It’s not the same as the first time on the sidelines where myriad complicated decisions have to be made in a matter of seconds with 80,000 people screaming.
January 14, 2024
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