More Cowher Details Emerge

The New York Post sheds a bit of light on the Jets' failed pursuit of Bill Cowher.

According to a league source, Cowher's representatives spoke with the team last Tuesday about the opening. They told Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum that the former Steelers coach was 95 percent sure he was not going to return to coaching.

Cowher's reps then told Tannenbaum that Jets owner Woody Johnson should call him, insinuating if Johnson offered an exorbitant amount of money, Cowher might change his mind.

Johnson, who was out of the country, felt a phone conversation with Cowher would just be a money grab by the coach.

Instead, Cowher's people were informed that he would be happy to meet with Cowher when he returned to the country this week.

It was then that Cowher withdrew his name from consideration, something that indicated to the Jets he never had serious interest, anyway.

It is amazing how poorly this was handled by the Jets. They had to know going in that they needed Cowher a lot more than Cowher needs them. Gang Green had to blow him out of the water. Bill Cowher's dream job is not coaching the Jets.

Johnson leaving the country as the search began is mind-boggling. His refusal to make himself immediately available to a man his team was targeting is even worse. This news makes it easy to question how much of a priority making this team successful is to the owner.

Nothing in this report suggests the Jets were correct in thinking Cowher never had real interest. It shows an unwillingness on the franchise's part to do what was necessary to land the former Steelers coach.