The last time the Jets made a playoff appearance was under former head coach Rex Ryan, who on Tuesday interviewed to return to the position once again in 2025.
WFAN legend Mike Francesca thinks that bringing Ryan back could be exactly what the Jets need after finishing their ninth consecutive losing season and missing the playoffs for the 14th straight season.
“I would hire Rex and give him unusual authority where he’s not the head coach, but he’s got more than typical defensive coordinator status,” he said on the “The Mike Francesa Podcast” on Monday,. “I would like to see Rex recreate that job with the Jets. ‘I’ll give you money, I’ll give you a soapbox, but you’re not the head coach, run the defense. You can brag about your defense all the time, you can talk about it ‘til the cows come home.’”
Ryan, 61, was Jets head coach from 2009 to 2014 and brought the team to consecutive AFC Championship Games in his first two years. He last worked in the NFL in 2016 as head coach of the Buffalo Bills. He served as defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens from 2005 to 2008 and helped them win Super Bowl XXXV, 34-7, over the New York Giants. In 2017, he joined ESPN as an analyst.
Ryan interviewed for the Broncos defensive coordinator position before the 2023 season and afterward implied that Denver did not meet his contract demands. Last offseason, he interviewed for the Cowboys defensive coordinator job that ultimately went to Mike Zimmer.
The Jets. have also completed interviews with Ron Rivera and Mike Vrabel.
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