Gang Green Nation

Rumor: Callahan to Cleveland?

2009-01-07T02:07:58Z

Rich Cimini speculates if Eric Mangini gets the Browns head coaching job, Bill Callahan could follow him.

In a sign that former Jets coach Eric Mangini believes he has an excellent chance of landing the Browns' head-coaching job, Mangini is starting to assemble a staff and one of his targets is current Jets assistant head coach Bill Callahan, a source said.

This could be the start of an attempted raid of the Jets' staff by Mangini.

Callahan, who coaches the offensive line, is under contract and the Jets aren't required to grant permission for the Browns to speak with him. Unless an assistant wants to interview for a head-coaching job, it's deemed a lateral move and his current team isn't obligated to let him go.

Would anybody really be surprised? Coaching jobs in the NFL are mostly about connections. There is no telling whether the new coach would want Callahan around. If not, Cleveland is a logical destination. Even if the Jets intend on keeping Callahan, Mike Heimerdinger showed us that a team cannot keep a guy who does not want to stick around under a new regime.

Ultimately nothing will be decided until the Jets name a new head coach because Callahan is being considered for that job. Ideally, he will stay in New York as he was a major asset in his first year with the club. However, Bill is hardly the only competent line coach in the league. The Jets should be fine no matter how this turns out.

Nice Story on Trusnik

2009-01-07T01:38:39Z

Nice Story on Trusnik

Randy Lange puts together a nice writeup on Week 17 standout Jason Trusnik.

More Cowher Details Emerge

2009-01-06T13:39:11Z

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.

Best Guy Available?

2009-01-06T13:21:51Z

Poll

Of those confirmed to interview with the Jets, who is your first choice?

Catching Up With Richie

2009-01-06T13:15:18Z

Catching Up With Richie

Newsday has a brief interview with Rich Kotite, the worst head coach in Jets history. Kotite compiled a 4-28 record in two seasons with the club. After just about every loss, he would give the team credit by saying, "We played hard," and described his defense as "swarming."

He seems like a nice enough man, but his problem was that he tried to make being an NFL head coach into a lifestyle job. A lot of coaches sleep in their office. He would sometimes leave practice early to beat rush hour traffic on the Long Island Expressway.

The biggest indictment of Kotite is Bill Parcells winning 9 games in 1997 with essentially the same roster Kotite led to a single win the previous season.

Parcells Swears He's Staying

2009-01-05T13:36:49Z

Wayne Huizenga claims Bill Parcells has told him he will not opt out of his contract if the team is sold.

Executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells will return to Miami next season and not exercise an escape clause in his contract, team owner H. Wayne Huizenga said on Sunday.
"Bill's going to stay," Huizenga said, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, which first reported his comments. "He told me [Friday] he's going to stay. He said he likes it here."

File this under the "I'll believe it when I see it category." This rumor promotes franchise stability, which will make the team easier to sell. The potential for the most important executive in the franchise to opt out might be making buyers leery. Parcells is legendary for changing his mind. He backed out of two deals with Tampa Bay and another as recently as a year ago with Atlanta. Parcells loves making headlines, and becoming a free agent would be a surefire way to generate them. He also can name his price on the open market if he opts out. Even if he does eventually come back to Miami, he can at least get himself a raise by negotiating a new deal.

Clown of the Year Award...

2009-01-05T02:34:17Z

Goes to Boston College Athletic Director Gene Defilippo.

Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski has been told he will be fired if he interviews for the head coaching vacancy with the New York Jets, which is scheduled for Monday, according to sources.

Despite the threat from athletic director Gene DeFilippo, Jagodzinski plans to do the interview with the Jets, the sources said. Those sources said that in the event Jagodzinski is fired, BC would promote offensive coordinator Steve Logan to head coach.

According to the sources, DeFilippo first told Jagodzinski on Saturday that he would fired if he interviewed and then reinforced the school's position Sunday. Jagodzinski declined to comment when reached by ESPN.

BC spokesman Chris Cameron told ESPN's Joe Schad the school would have no comment. But another BC source said Jagodzinski informed his coaching staff of the development this weekend after at least two discussions with DeFilippo.

The Jets did not have a reaction or confirm they are interested in Jagodzinski, but ESPN and other news outlets have reported his candidacy.

Source: ESPN

Get It Now?

2009-01-04T20:57:23Z

Chad Pennington had a great season. He is definitely an above average quarterback, who frequently displays pinpoint accuracy and a deft touch on his throws. He is a high character guy, a great leader, and as tough as nails. He can take a team into the Playoffs.

Today, when asked to carry his team on his back against an elite defense and to make tough throws into traffic, he got picked off four times as his team was handily defeated. This is the story of his career. He showed once again that he is not capable of taking a team all the way by himself. Brett Favre is, even if he failed to do so in 2008. That is why the Jets made the trade. That is why it was a good trade. At the end of the day, the difference between missing the Playoffs and going home early is not THAT great, especially after a four decade wait for a championship.

Hutch: Schottenheimer the Top Contender, New Names Emerge

2009-01-04T20:51:35Z

Dave Hutchinson reports Brian Schottenheimer is currently the leader in the clubhouse to land the head coaching job.

It's early in what the Jets have promised will be a long and thorough search for a new head coach, but offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has emerged as the early frontrunner, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.

They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they're not authorized to speak for the Jets.

Schottenheimer, in his third season with the Jets, interviewed on Friday and his session with general manager Mike Tannenbaum was described as ``impressive'' by one person. Tannenbaum liked Schottenheimer entering the process but he realizes Schottenheimer could be a tough sell to an angry fan base.

Hutchinson has been on the Jets beat for the Star-Ledger for a long time. He is typically reliable as he has established great sources with the team. With that said, hold off on storming the team's headquarters in Florham Park, NJ for the time being. Schottenheimer is one of only three to interview at this point. The other two were Bill Callahan, an abject failure as a head coach, and Steve Spagnuolo, who spent his week getting ready for three potential opponents, not outlining a plan of what he would do if he took over the Jets. Schottenheimer had much more time to prepare and has an intimate knowledge of the personnel on the roster. Tannenbaum may have been impressed, but he saw what everybody else did the past two years. Part of Schottenheimer's "impressive" performance might have been very low expectations.

Hutchinson also reveals some potential new names in the coaching search.

Other names on the Jets' radar are Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera and Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks.

All three are minority candidates. The Jets have to interview at least one minority candidate for their vacant head coaching position under the league's Rooney Rule or face a substantial fine. Rivera is the most intriguing at this point. He has built two terrific defenses in Chicago and San Diego using two completely different systems. He also has exposure to a third, Philadelphia's attack 4-3, from his time there working under Jim Johnson. He completely turned around San Diego's defense on the fly this year, taking over at midseason after Ted Cottrell was dismissed, even without Shawne Merriman. His gameplan against Peyton Manning last night was superb. It is definitely good news this guy is on the Jets' radar.

Frazier and Meeks are similar. Both are from the Tony Dungy coaching tree, which has produced Lovie Smith, Mike Tomlin, and our own Herman Edwards. They are intriguing possibilities as long as they realize their Tampa 2 defensedoes not fit the talent on the roster. David Harris is one of the cornerstones of the roster and lacks the athleticism and coverage skills a middle linebacker in the Tampa 2 system, needs. The Jets should remember what happened when they put their last budding star middle linebacker, Jonathan Vilma, into a system that did not maximize his skills. He was traded within two underwhelming seasons.

Mike Tomlin, a Tampa 2 guy, stuck with the 3-4 when he went to the Steelers because it best fit his players. If either of these guys is willing to make a similar evaluation of the talent and adjust the defensive system accordingly, they are worth a look because they are both well-regarded. If they really are good coaches, they will not be married to their system at the expense of results on the field like Eric Mangini was.

Potential Coach Bios

2009-01-04T17:17:20Z

Bios on the coaches confirmed to interview for the job as Jets head coach.

Add another name to the list. Former Ravens coach Brian Billick will interview this week for the...

2009-01-04T17:09:18Z

Add another name to the list. Former Ravens coach Brian Billick will interview this week for the head-coaching vacancy, the NFL Network is reporting.

Rich Cimini

The Jets never got a chance to discuss their head-coaching vacancy with former Steelers coach...

2009-01-04T15:15:57Z

The Jets never got a chance to discuss their head-coaching vacancy with former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, but they will talk to one of his former assistants.

They will meet in the coming days with Cardinals assistant head coach Russ Grimm, the Daily News has learned. Grimm, best known as a member of the Redskins' "Hogs," circa 1980s, coaches the offensive line for the Cards. He also coached the line on Cowher's staff with the Steelers.

The Cards advanced to the divisional playoffs, but league rules allow teams to interview assistant coaches from wild-card winners before the divisional round. Based on that rule, the Jets also will be able to interview Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan this coming week.

Rich Cimini

Meanwhile, Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski is the latest name to surface and is expected to...

2009-01-03T16:35:04Z

Meanwhile, Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski is the latest name to surface and is expected to interview with the Jets next week, according to a second person also not at liberty to speak publicly.

The Jets wouldn't confirm or deny Jagodzinski is coming in for an interview.

Jagodzinski, 45, has coached Boston College the past two seasons and was the Green Bay Packers' offensive coordinator in 2006, working with quarterback Brett Favre. He was an assistant in the NFL for eight seasons with the Packers and Atlanta Falcons.

Newark Star-Ledger

Rumor: Woody an Absentee

2009-01-03T16:33:59Z

The New York Daily News says Bill Cowher taking his name from consideration might have had to do with a lack of access to owner Woody Johnson.

Meanwhile, new details of the Jets' quick and ill-fated courtship of Cowher have come to light. He had agreed Tuesday to speak with the Jets about their vacancy, but he withdrew his name from consideration several hours later because, in part, he wasn't able to speak directly with owner Woody Johnson, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

"Bill Cowher easily could've been enticed to coach if Woody Johnson would've taken a sit-down meeting with him," the person said. "Cowher's camp was told that Woody was out of the country and couldn't have a sit-down with him."

Chances are, it wouldn't have changed the outcome, according to a person close to Cowher, but the "Where's Woody?" routine apparently was the last straw for the former Steelers coach.

Johnson is out of the country, a person familiar with the search confirmed, adding that Johnson speaks several times a day with GM Mike Tannenbaum. Cowher-to-the-Jets was a longshot from the outset - he apparently will remain a CBS studio analyst for at least another year - but face time with Johnson might have helped the Jets' chances. He never had a phone conversation with the owner.

Tannenbaum is the point man in the coaching search, although Johnson was willing to make himself available to speak with Cowher, according to a person close to the team.

Johnson didn't participate in Friday's interviews with the two in-house candidates, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and offensive-line coach Bill Callahan. He also won't be involved in this morning's sit-down with Spagnuolo, but Johnson will review notes from the sessions and is expected to step in for the second round of interviews, when the field is narrowed.

If true, this is a pretty damning indictment of Woody Johnson. It goes without saying that the start of a coaching search is an awful time to leave the country. If Johnson cares about the team and the fans, the search should be his number one priority. Bill Cowher was the top coach on the market. He should have aggressively pursued him, not tell Cowher through other channels he could speak over the phone. Cowher had all the leverage. Johnson had to sell him on the Jets. Cowher should not have to jump through hoops to get a face to face meeting with the guy to whom he would have answered. This probably showed Cowher the amount of support and commitment he would have seen from the franchise.

Woody should not delegate any part of the coaching search. He should listen to others, mainly Tannenbaum, for input, but the decision is ultimately his. He should get as much of a feel for all of the candidates so that he can make an informed choice. This is not the time to be hands off.

NY Media Wants Spagnuolo

2009-01-03T14:41:36Z

Gary Myers of the Daily News and Brian Costello of the New York Post agree on whom the next head coach of the Jets should be.

Myers wants Steve Spagnuolo mainly on the premise Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, and John Fox all became successful head coaches after serving as a Giants defensive assistant. If all of these guys made the transition well, obviously Spagnuolo will also.

But all those trees may be overshadowed by the former Giants defensive coordinators who excelled in that high pressure position and went on to do great things as head coaches: Parcells, Bill Belichick and John Fox.

Now that Bill Cowher has removed himself from the Jets derby, Spagnuolo is the best fit for the Jets. It's always hard to predict how a first-time head coach will do, but Spagnuolo gives every indication he will be able to make a seamless transition. He's had success in the biggest market in the country.

Although the Jets have decided to no longer consider Mike Shanahan, they are better off with Spagnuolo anyway. Shanahan did win two Super Bowls, but that was a lifetime ago. In the last 10 years, he is 1-4 in the playoffs. The Broncos collapsed worse than the Jets this season. Shanahan is straight from the recycling bin after he was fired Tuesday. Spagnuolo is red-hot. He comes with no guarantees, of course, but then Shanahan hasn't done anything since John Elway retired.

And you can't forget that coaching tree.

Parcells was promoted from Giants defensive coordinator to head coach in 1983 and won two Super Bowls in eight years and then made it to another Super Bowl with New England.

Belichick was Parcells' defensive coordinator on two Super Bowl winners, and then after making the playoffs just once in five years as the Browns' head coach, he is 3-1 in Super Bowls in nine years as the Patriots' coach.

Then there's Fox, the defensive coordinator for the Giants team that went to the Super Bowl in 2000 after shutting out the Vikings in the NFC title game. He became the Panthers head coach and had Carolina in the Super Bowl in his second season, where it lost to Belichick. If Jim Fassel had not saved his job with the Super Bowl run in 2000, the Giants were prepared to fire him and promote Fox.

Is Spagnuolo the next Giants defensive coordinator who will go on and become a star? He has emerged as the favorite to get the Jets' job, but because he is the hottest assistant in the league, the Jets face competition for him from the Broncos, Lions and Browns. The Jets have to sell themselves to him today as much as he has to sell himself to them.

Clearly being the Giants defensive coordinator gives a coach magical powers. It could not have been that all three had what it took on their own. Holding that position gave it to them. Spagnuolo may become a good head coach, but that will have nothing to do with how great Parcells, Belichick, and Fox were. These are three different guys who served in three different environments under three different regimes from what Spagnuolo. Their success has nothing to do with Spagnuolo. He will not succeed or fail because of what they did in the past. There has to be a better reason to hire a head coach.

That reason does not come from Costello, who warns the Jets they better get Spagnuolo but does not actually offer a reason why he is the best candidate.

Don't blow this one, Woody.

When Steve Spagnuolo sits down with the Jets New York Jets today, team owner Woody Johnson has to give the Giants New York Giants defensive coordinator the hard sell he gave Brett Favre last summer or the hard sell he's given his fans to buy PSLs.

Johnson has to make Spagnuolo, who is desired as a head coach from Detroit to Denver, believe Gang Green is the best fit and the place to hang his shingle.

The Jets have screwed this up before. From Lou Holtz to Richie Kotite, they have made their share of mistakes. Now, Spagnuolo can arrive as the man to make Jets fans forget Eric Mangini, forget the five-game collapse, forget the tortured past and find hope again.

Dan Leberfield of Jets Confidential offers a reasoned argument amid the hysteria.

The endorsements are flying in for Spagnuolo from sportswriters who wouldn't know Rex Ryan if he was standing next to them.
Woody, if you are smart, you ignore this. Don't worry about appeasing newspapers or sports talk hosts when making this choice.

Because if it doesn't work, they will forget they pushed for the choice and go after you.

Just look at what happened with the Brett Favre trade. Endorsements across the board, and now most of those same people have turned on Favre, and the Jets, for making the move, like pitbulls.

In Saturday's New York Times, there was this troubling report.

"The favorite is Steve Spagnuolo, the Giants’ defensive coordinator, according to two team officials in the Jets’ organization, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the interview process has not been completed," wrote Greg Bishop.

Who are these misguided people in the organization annointing a guy the favorite before he even interviewed for the job?

That is just foolish.

What makes Spagnuolo a better candidate than Ryan? Can someone please explain this to me.

Spagnuolo might be the best guy for the job, but for two people for the organization to say he's the favorite before he even interviews is idiotic.

The reason the local media is so hot for Spagnuolo is that they see him every week and know him. It is impossible to offer a complete assessment of any assistant. Nobody knows how they will handle being the head man. Romeo Crennel was considered a can't miss prospect four years ago by many and had a significantly better resume than Spagnuolo. Nobody had heard of Mike Smith, John Harbaugh, or Tony Sparano a year ago, and all had great success as rookie head coaches.

Personally I would like either Rex Ryan or Jim Schwartz over Spagnuolo. Both have more coordinator experience than Spags and thus more of a body of success. However, fans can do nothing but trust the men with the most information will make the best choice for their team. Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum acted decisively when they identified their head coach as a problem. They are capable of making the right call.

TJ Backpedals

2009-01-03T01:41:01Z

Thomas Jones seemed to back off some of his remarks in an interview with ESPN.

If nothing else, it is good to see that Jones realizes he made a mistake openly ripping a teammate and is looking to minimize the damage.

Shanahan Out of the Mix

2009-01-03T01:29:50Z

Mike Shanahan has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next head coach of the Jets.

It was a brief flirtation, and now it's over. Mike Shanahan isn't coming to the Jets, the Daily News has learned.

The Jets held internal discussions on the recently-fired Broncos coach. They even tried to send a feeler to gauge his interest, but the organization is moving on. Presumably, Shanahan sent word to the Jets that he isn't interested.

That is just fine. Shanahan has been nothing special outside of a great three year run over ten years ago. He would have probably demanded control over personnel, not a good thing considering Denver never improved from year to year during his tenure despite numerous high profile acquisitions. His zone blocking scheme would have required major personnel changes along the offensive line. Alan Faneca and Damien Woody, who just signed big deals last year, would be awful fits for the scheme, which requires athletic and nimble linemen and emphasizes technique over brute force. The kicker is that the Jets already have great run blocking.

There are places where Shanahan's offensive acumen would make him a good fit. This is not one of them.

The Jets' interest in Mike Shanahan is getting warmer, a person familiar with the team's thinking...

2009-01-02T13:29:25Z

The Jets' interest in Mike Shanahan is getting warmer, a person familiar with the team's thinking told the Daily News Thursday.

With Bill Cowher out of the picture, and with no proven head coaches on their list of known candidates, the Jets are taking a hard look at the former Broncos coach, who was fired Tuesday in a move that sent shock waves throughout the NFL.

NY Daily News

Denver Interested in Spagnuolo

2009-01-02T13:26:45Z

Denver Interested in Spagnuolo

It looks like the Broncos have at least passing interest in Steve Spagnuolo for their vacant head coaching position. Spagnuolo is one of the frontrunners for the Jets job as well. If both teams make him an offer, the Jets probably have the inside track. Denver is a better opportunity for most potential coaches because of their great fanbase, stable ownership situation, and decent young quarterback. However, a guy like Spags could be reluctant to uproot a young family for a second time in three years.

Callahan and Schottenheimer Interview Today

2009-01-02T13:19:52Z

Callahan and Schottenheimer Interview Today

Bill Callahan and Brian Schottenheimer kick off the Jets' interview proccess for a new head coach today. Neither choice would be terribly popular with the fanbase. Fans want to turn the page after this disaster. Hiring a member of the current staff not named Mike Westhoff would be the opposite of this.

The willingness to extend Schottenheimer an interview is something of a disturbing sign. Even if it is a courtesy, it shows the Jets like the job he has done and perhaps want him back. His play calling was integral to the collapse.

Callahan's past stints as a head coach make him a poor candidate, but he did a fantastic job as offensive line coach. This interview should be used to gague his interest in staying as an assistant under a new coach as much as anything.