According to the New York Post, the Jets newly hired head coach Rex Ryan met with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer in an attempt to convince him to stay put in the Big Apple for at least one more year. If they’re successful, it would remove much of the burden of putting together a quality offensive staff from Ryan, and maintain a level of continuity that could entice QB Brett Favre to return for another season.
Schottenheimer is upset about not receiving the head coaching position himself, and seems to be intent on leaving NYC to find another opportunity where he would have a better shot at landing a head coaching gig.
2:50 pm: Ryan has accepted the Jets offer to become their head coach, and will be publicly introduced at a team press conference on Wednesday.
Here’s what ESPN had to say on the hire:
12:00 am: Now that the Super Bowl field is finally set, the Jets are free to hire their preferred candidate to fill the team’s vacancy at the head coaching position.
According to Chris Mortensen (ESPN), that man will be Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, who has publicly and privately campaigned for a head coaching job in the league throughout the course of the 2009 postseason. Ryan will finalize a deal sometime tomorrow, and will be publicly introduced as the Jets head coach on Wednesday of this week.
Ravens DC Rex Ryan is comfortable with the idea of keeping the Jets current OC Brian Schottenheimer in place to run his offense next season if he’s hired in New York, according to an ESPN Insider report.
Ryan seems to be pulling out all the stops this off-season to get a head coaching job, and while the Jets are still busy considering other candidates, he has emerged as their top choice as of right now.
2:45 pm: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that the Rams currently have five finalists for their head coaching vacancy: Steve Spagnuolo (Giants), Rex Ryan (Ravens), Jason Garrett (Cowboys), Jim Haslett (Rams), and Leslie Frazier (Vikings).
12:05 am: The Newark Star-Ledger is reporting that Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is the new favorite to land the Jets head coaching gig. The team also values current offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, but may turn to Ryan instead to head the franchise, while Schottenheimer stays to run the offense.
Ryan is prohibited from accepting any sort of offer right now, as his current team is in the midst of a Super Bowl run, but he would be a solid fit for the job in New York, given his strong resume with the 3-4 defense.
In a separate report, Adam Schefter (NFL.com) detailed his belief that the Jets would be looking to bring in New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to have a second interview with the club at some point this week. Spagnuolo is available to take any head coaching position, now that his team was knocked out of the playoffs on Sunday.
According to Scout.com, New York will bring Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to interview for their head coaching vacancy on Sunday. Ryan is widely considered one of the top candidates available for a head coaching position this off-season, and should vault to the top of the heap with the Jets brass if he can put forth a strong showing.
The Jets would have to wait until the Ravens surprising run through the AFC playoffs is complete though before they would be able to finalize a deal with Ryan, but if team owner Woody Johnson is enamored enough with him, I doubt New York would let that get in the way.
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