Following a 2-3 start and a loss to the Vikings in London, the Jets became the first team to move on from their coach this season when owner Woody Johnson fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8.
Johnson fired Saleh, hoping it would ignite a disappointing Jets team that began the season with Super Bowl aspirations.
However, Gang Green has continued to slump under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, which led to Johnson firing general manager Joe Douglas on Nov. 19. Now, many are wondering who will be the Jets’ next coach.
Last month, Johnson hired former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and The 33rd Team to help “identify, vet and coordinate candidates and interviews” for both the vacant general manager and coaching positions.
Who are the Jets’ best fit to become their next coach? Let’s examine the candidates around the league.
LIONS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AARON GLENN
With the success they are currently having, the Lions’ assistants are going to get plucked this offseason. Among them could be Glenn, who Jets fans are undoubtedly familiar with.
Gang Green selected Glenn in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M. The cornerback played eight seasons (1994-2001) for the Jets and was a two-time Pro Bowler and was named to the Jets’ All-Time Four Decade team in 2003.
Glenn is interested in the Jets’ coaching vacancy, according to ESPN. Depending on who Johnson chooses as the next general manager, Glenn could make a lot of sense.
Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew and/or senior personnel executive John Dorsey could be interested in interviewing for the general manager role and look to bring over a coach from Detroit’s staff.
Last year, NFL players ranked Glenn as the top defensive coordinator in the league. The Jets will have company because the Saints, for which Glenn also played, and the Bears also have coaching vacancies, with more to come after the regular season concludes on Jan. 5.
RAVENS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD MONKEN
In 2019, the Jets front office was split between hiring Adam Gase and then Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken, according to CBS Sports. Now, the Jets will have a chance to rewrite their wrong and hire Monken if they choose.
After the Jets decided to go with Gase and went 9-23 from 2019-20, Monken, as the offensive coordinator at Georgia, won two national championships. Now, Monken is the offensive coordinator of the Ravens, who have one of the best offenses in the NFL.
Last season, with Monken in charge of the offense, Lamar Jackson won his second NFL MVP after passing for 3,678 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Just imagine Monken with a quarterback like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, who has a similar skill set as Jackson.
EX-TITANS HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL
If the Jets want to go the retread route and hire a former coach, Vrabel should certainly be at the top of the list.
During his six seasons as Titans coach, Vrabel finished with a 54-45 record, including winning the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year after leading the Titans to a 12-5 record. He also won the AFC South twice and made the AFC title game in his second season with the Titans in 2019 before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
Vrabel was fired following the 2023 season after finishing with back-to-back losing seasons. This season, Vrabel is a coaching and personnel consultant for the Browns.
Vrabel is open to taking the Jets’ coaching job, according to ESPN. However, before committing to the role, he would want to know who the Jets hire as their next general manager.
The Jets have already begun their general manager search by interviewing Jon Robinson, the former Titans general manager while Vrabel was in Tennessee before he was fired in 2022.
LIONS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BEN JOHNSON
Many Jets fans are tired of the organization hiring defensive minds as their coach. If the Jets want to pivot away from that, Johnson could be the huge whale they’ve been seeking.
Johnson led the Lions’ offense to top-five finishes in points per game and yards per game each of the last two seasons. If Johnson decides to move on, he certainly will have his choice of jobs.
Last season, Johnson chose to return to Detroit. With all the Lions’ success this season, it’s hard to see him doing that two years in a row.
VIKINGS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR BRIAN FLORES
Another veteran coach the Jets could look at is Flores, who has ties to the New York area.
Before he became a coach, Flores was born and raised in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. He later played at Boston College and, after his playing career ended, became an assistant on the Patriots staff in 2004. He remained on Bill Belichick’s staff in New England until 2019, when he became the Dolphins coach.
Flores had some success in Miami, registering back-to-back winning seasons. But he was fired in 2021 after finishing 9-8 and a power struggle between him and general manager Chris Grier over quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. He filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL alleging racial discrimination.
Flores told ESPN last month he would “love” to be a head coach in the league again but in “the right opportunity.” He should get that opportunity after helping the Vikings become one of the top defenses each of the last two seasons.
The Jets’ hiring Flores would also be a good idea, as he could stick it to the rival Dolphins, the team that fired him after three seasons.
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