Should the New York Jets look to the franchise's past in their search for a new head coach? Rex Ryan is hoping so.
The former NFL coach and current ESPN analyst wants to return to the Jets for a second run as the team's head coach. Ryan expressed his desire for the job during an appearance on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" Friday.
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"I'd like to, there's no doubt about it," Ryan said when asked if was going to save the Jets. "I've let everyone know that I definitely would be interested in that job, even though I've got a great gig.
"I think I have some unfinished business, especially with that franchise. That particular franchise, you know my dad [Buddy Ryan] was there forever, he won a Super Bowl, and it's super close to me. I would get back in it if I thought I could make a difference and I think I could make a big difference with that team."
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The Jets have been a massive disappointment in 2024. Despite Aaron Rodgers' return from injury and a midseason trade for star wideout Davante Adams, the Jets sit at 3-8 with just a 2% chance of making the playoffs.
New York hasn't made the postseason since 2010, when Ryan was leading the team, and the franchise is set to be in the market for a head coach again this coming offseason. Robert Saleh was fired following a 2-3 start and the team has gone just 1-5 since under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich. General manager Joe Douglas was fired earlier this week, as well.
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But Ryan doesn't believe the Jets require wholesale roster changes, saying he would be able to turn things around very quickly.
"I think if I took over, it'd be turned in about two minutes," Ryan said, "because I think it starts with the passion and the energy that I would bring to that building and the 'we're not gonna take any poop' mentality, either. We're gonna kick your a** and we don't care if you like it or not. But, with that, it comes responsibilities and accountability from that football team. I'll take every bullet, I get it. I want my players to play fast and I want them to be relentless.
"Right now, here's what I see with that football team: I see a team that plays with effort, everybody in the National Football League plays with effort. But I see a team that doesn't play with the enthusiasm that you need, and I think that would change in a second. The minute I got there it would change, and it would have to or the guy would be down the road."
Ryan also gave a harsh assessment of the Jets' offensive scheme, as New York ranks 26th in both yards per game and points per game. After Saleh's firing, Ulbrich took away play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and gave them to Todd Downing, the team's passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
"That offense is about 20 years behind its time," Ryan said. "That's the old West Coast-type stuff and there's guys, they talk like they're geniuses, and the great thing is I love going against them. I can tell you where every damn play is going. I haven't coached for eight years and can tell you every play.
"So I think that's something that needs to be flushed out, and you've got to start new. You've got to get up to the times offensively -- come out of the huddle quick, use shifts, motions to help identify things and get yourself in a great play. There's people out there that obviously, quite honestly, would be a hell of a lot smarter than me. But those would be the guys that you would hire."
Ryan, who turns 62 in December, was hired by the Jets as head coach in 2009 following a four-year run as defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. In Ryan's first two seasons as an NFL head coach, New York went 9-7 and 11-5 while making consecutive runs to the AFC Championship Game behind a stout defense.
But the Jets failed to make it back to the playoffs over Ryan's final four seasons, going a combined 26-38. The stretch was marred by poor quarterback play, as former No. 5 pick Mark Sanchez and former second-rounder Geno Smith failed to establish themselves as long-term answers under center.
New York fired Ryan following a 4-12 season in 2014. A decade later, he sees a Jets team that's more talented than any he coached during his six-year tenure.
"From a physical standpoint, from a personnel standpoint, this team is close to being a dominant football team when you look at it talent-wise," Ryan said. "Why the hell they're not playing to that level, I don't know."
"I never had this kind of talent when I coached the Jets," he added. "Never close to this kind of talent."
After being fired by New York, Ryan spent the next two seasons as head coach of the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills. He went a combined 15-16 without a playoff appearance before being fired late in the 2016 season.
While Ryan hasn't coached in the NFL since, he's confident that he would get the job if Jets owner Woody Johnson were to bring him in for an interview.
"It's crazy, but I know when I get an opportunity to interview for it, I'm gonna get the job. That's how I feel about it," Ryan said. "If I get that opportunity, great. If not, they want to go a different direction, then so be it."
"There's a lot of great coaches out there, but I think I'm the guy for the Jets," he added. "The reason for it is, I connect with the Jets, that Jet fan base and all that. All these other guys that you bring in, they ain't close to connecting. I've already done it."
