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Eric Bieniemy was the first name on the Jets coaching candidate list. The second is Cowboys assistant coach Kris Richard.
The #Jets are requesting an interview with #Cowboys passing game coordinator/DBs coach Kris Richard, source said. Has impressed since in first season with playoff-bound Dallas.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 31, 2018
Richard is in his first season with Dallas. His work with the Cowboys’ defense has received widespread acclaim. He has been given a lot of credit for the unit’s success.
Prior to coming to the Cowboys, Richard spent eight years working under Pete Carroll with the Seahawks. He rose from assistant defensive backs coach to defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator. He was the position coach in the secondary as the Legion of Boom emerged. There were briefly rumors about him joining the Jets coaching staff in 2014, but nothing materialized.
I don’t expect Richard to be a popular candidate in the fanbase immediately. The Jets have hired four straight first time head coaches with defensive backgrounds. I actually decided against doing a Coaching Candidate of the Day profile for him simply because of how unpopular I thought it would be.
With that said, I think Richard is a good coach and has earned a chance to sell a vision as a head coach. I would urge everybody to keep an open mind. Just because a coach has a defensive background doesn’t necessarily mean he lacks an offensive vision.