New York Jets coach Rex Ryan appears finished in New Jersey. Where will he be next season? HNGN's sports writers weigh in.
Cal-
Oh, Sexy Rexy.
After five-plus seasons at the helm of the New York Jets, after two AFC Championship Game appearances, a weirdly mild foot fetish scandal that involved gasp, his wife, after Mark Sanchez, the butt-fumble, after Geno Smith and now Mike Vick, it looks increasingly likely that he'll be gone from Broadway next season.
The question then becomes where he'll end up should the seemingly inevitable actually happen.
Personally, I think he's the kind of guy truly driven by his ego - anything other than another head coaching gig and he's hanging up the phone - no more defensive coordinator jobs for this cat. That means he'll either get offered a head coaching gig - which I think will happen, maybe a team like San Francisco, where, if reports are accurate, Jim Harbaugh's overbearing collegiate style has rubbed many the wrong way and were he jettisoned in the offseason, where Ryan's loose, boisterous but intensely focused demeanor could do wonders for a team already stacked with defensive talent - or he'll take a year off, and wait for the right opportunity to emerge, a la Lovie Smith.
Jordan-
Rex Ryan is finished with the Jets. Everybody knows that. The only question is where Ryan will be next season. Another head coaching gig? No - not yet, at least. Ryan is going to return to the ranks of defensive coordinator, string together two good seasons to remind everybody he knows what he's doing and get another HC job afterwards.
As for next season, Ryan won't be short of suitors for a defensive coordinator job. He'll essentially get to pick where he goes. I'd love to see him go to the New York Giants, just to spite Idzik and Woody. Ryan isn't a great head coach, but he's an amazing defensive coordinator. What he's been able to do with the Jets' defense, which has no secondary, is phenomenal. Imagine giving him a talented defense and letting him just focus on calling plays on D, without the worries of trying to make an offense work.
Ryan will be back. He should stick with the d-cord position, but he'll be a HC somewhere again in a few years.
Brandon-
After Jets owner Woody Johnson fires Rex Ryan (and he will be fired), he should have his pick of jobs. I know New York is a circus right now, but Ryan is still well liked among players and well respected for his football knowledge. He may not handle roster moves or the media with much aplomb, but I think he'll get another head coaching offer despite his mistakes. He did make it to two consecutive AFC Championship games in the country's most scrutinized market with Mark Sanchez as his QB, after all.
I could see Ryan replacing Mike Smith in Atlanta. Ryan's teams have always been defensive minded squads that lack effective quarterback play. Matt Ryan would solve that in an instant. With some heavy investment into the offensive line and a touch of Ryan magic on the defensive side, the Falcons could shoot back to respectable well roundedness pretty quickly.
Tom-
The Jets are a mess. The only plausible option is to clean house and start from scratch, which means firing head coach Rex Ryan and bringing in new coaching personnel. When that (likely) happens, the defensive guru will be in demand across the NFL, whether it's for a head coaching position or a defensive coordinator position. Here are my two predictions for where Ryan may end up in 2015:
Atlanta Falcons: I think Arthur Blank will fire head coach Mike Smith either during the season or at year's end, which means his whole staff is gone. Blank is a pretty polarizing figure himself, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had Rex in for an interview regarding the head coaching position. Honestly, if Ryan lands another head coaching gig, I believe the owner will ask him to relinquish his defensive play-calling duties and have him focus on the cohesion of the team. Rex has done a good job getting his teams prepared for big games and that's just what the Falcons need.
New York Giants: The Giants have been rocked by the injury bug once again on top of revamping their offense. Perry Fewell is the current defensive coordinator and the unit as a whole has been fairly inconsistent over the years, which could lead to his dismissal at that post. I think they'll keep Coughlin for at least another year, so Ryan could simply stay in New York and take over the defensive coordinator position. With all the talent on that side of the ball for the Giants, Ryan could develop some good schemes and disguises, which could help New York's offense develop faster. Confidence in the defensive unit is key for the offense.
