Rex Ryan wants the New York Jets job — badly.
How badly? Well, that depends on how his interview goes.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Ryan is set to meet with the Jets this Tuesday, where he’ll face a panel that includes team owner Woody Johnson, CEO Christopher Johnson, president Hymie Elhai and former general manager Mike Tannenbaum, among others.
Sources: Former #Jets coach Rex Ryan is set to interview with the Jets on Tuesday, an opportunity for Ryan to state his case to his old team.
Ryan, a current ESPN analyst, has publicly stated his desire for the post he once held. He went 46-50 for NYJ with a 4-2 playoff record. pic.twitter.com/cTZ2EwyEnD
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 4, 2025
Ryan, whom Woody Johnson once described as being “like a son” to him, didn’t exactly leave New York on the best terms.
During his tenure, Ryan led the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship titles, largely thanks to a roster built by Tannenbaum and Eric Mangini and a few key reinforcements. His defensive acumen was like no other, but his ignorance to the offensive side of the football and his elevated influence in front office decisions eventually did him in.
But, he could never fully recapture the magic that made him a beloved figure in New York and New Jersey.
Ryan famously declared he didn’t come to the AFC East to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings, but after the Jets’ 2010 AFC Divisional Round playoff win over New England, one coach adjusted while the other didn’t.
It was truly over for Ryan when the Jets lost to the Giants on Christmas Eve in 2011. No team was more disproportionately affected by the 2011 NFL lockout than the Jets — and it showed. The lockout disrupted offseason training, leaving the Jets woefully unprepared to build on their previous successes, and it became painfully obvious by season’s end.
But he returned for another season, one that led to Tannenbaum’s firing — and not his. That left the Jets scrambling to hire their last choice for general manager, John Idizk, a cap guy. Idizk was thrust into a football operations role, which wasn’t his strong suit or his background.
The situation eventually came to a head when Johnson fired them both following the 2014 NFL season.
Ryan later said that Johnson “had to fire me,” even though he became the Buffalo Bills head coach shortly thereafter. He lasted just two seasons before being replaced by Sean McDermott. Since then, Ryan has been with ESPN, but his desire to return to coaching — whether as a head coach or defensive coordinator — has never been a secret.
While his 46-50 record (with a 4-2 playoff record) and nearly decade-long absence from the sidelines may not exactly inspire confidence in his candidacy, the Jets would be remiss not to explore every option in their search for a new head coach to replace Robert Saleh.
While those like Dan Orlovsky could see Ryan returning to the Jets, the job might be more appealing than people think, even if Ryan so desperately wants a second shot. And while Ryan clearly wants back in, the Jets should probably resist the urge to listen to Saleh’s former texting buddy, Joe Benigno, on this unless everything that can go wrong in this coaching search does indeed go wrong.
Ryan, as a consultant or special assistant to the owner, makes much more sense.
And let’s not forget, he’s plenty good on TV.
That said, it remains to be seen whether the Jets will take a more measured approach or if their pursuit of nostalgia will lead them back down the path of hiring a coach whose best years may be behind him.
