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If this is true, the Jets’ DC hire should be a no-brainer.
“Jets interim DC Chris Harris interviewed for the team’s full-time defensive coordinator position yesterday,” Breer tweeted on Monday. “Harris has been widely seen as a rising star in coaching.”
If Harris is a rising star in coaching, the Jets should give him the job.
I’m being dead serious.
If you have a rising star in coaching, why would you let him out of the building?
That would make no sense at all.
If you have open DC position, and your interim DC is a “rising star” why the heck wouldn’t you hire him?
Harris was the Jets’ interim DC for the last three games of the regular season in losses to New Orleans, New England, and Buffalo.
The Jets’ defense wasn’t great in these games, all blowouts, some might claim that was due to all the defensive injuries.
So if he is a rising star as Breer claims, get his “John Hancock” on the contract and get this over with.
Another candidate for the job is long-time NFL and college defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martingdale.
Some would argue he is the best candidate because of his long history of coaching solid defenses.
But here are a couple of potential issues with him vis-à-vis the Jets DC job:
First of all, it’s pretty clear that he wanted to be an NFL HC. He’s interviewed for HC jobs over the years, but was bypassed, perhaps due to his bombastic style. He’s got some Rex Ryan in him – an outspoken guy who shoots from the hip a lot. That doesn’t always fly in the button-up NFL. So often veteran coaches, who go by-passed for HC job, then work for first-time HC’s who are struggling, start thinking, “Why the heck is that guy a head caoch and I’m not, ” creating bitterness, and bad karma.
Secondly, according to a league source, one of the reasons he was fired by the Giants after the 2023 season was Brian Daboll thought he was leaking stuff to the media.
I can’t confirm that, but my source on this is very, very plugged into the Giants.
Glenn has it made it clear he wants to put a stop to leaks, which were a problem under the prior regime. And Glenn still has some work to do on this front after some stuff was leaked to SNY’s Connor Hughes this season, making former Jets DC Steve Wilks and current D-Line coach Eric Washington, two good men, look bad.
Another candidate is Jim Leonhard, a former Jets safety, who currently works for the Denver Broncos. He’s the former DC of the University of Wisconsin, so he’s lorded over a defense before.
One potential issue with the Leonhard candidacy, and I have to be careful how I phrase this, is his popularity with Jets fans.
He is loved in Jets Nation from his playing days.
So what is the issue? If you are Glenn, and you could be on the hot seat next year if the team’s bad play from this past season continues in 2026, do you want a hot coaching candidate, popular with the fans, on your staff?
I want to make it clear. I’m theorizing here. This didn’t come from Glenn.
But we have seen this scenario many times in the past in pro sports – you don’t want to hire an easy heir apparent if you happen to land on the hot seat. I’m not saying Glenn is on the hot seat because Woody and Hymie seem to really admire him as a coach, but that chatter will start if next season resembles this one.
So perhaps a perfect candidate, who isn’t a threat to Glenn, but has been a DC before, is Detroit Lions assistant Jim O’Neil, who is not a name you ever hear as an HC candidate.
However, if Harris is the “rising star” that Breer claims he’s hearing, he clearly should be the hire.
Seriously, if you have an interim DC, who is “widely seen as a rising star in coaching,” why the hell wouldn’t you just give him the job?
Lock the doors and throw away the keys.
January 20, 2026
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