Rex Ryan is the Man for the Job

First, I would like to take the time to say goodbye to Eric Mangini, who ended his Jet tenure with a 23-26 record (including the postseason). “Mangenius” is not the name you deserved. Your coaching did not motivate the team when it mattered most and it cost the Jets some games too.

In the week 16 game against the Seattle Seahawks, you sent kicker Jay Feely out for a 45 yard attempt. It was good, but a delay of game penalty negated it. After the call, you decided to punt the ball away. Why? Before that game, Feely was 6/7 in field goal attempts over 40 yards. His field goal would have easily been good from 50, and possibly 55 yards away.

Also, when the team was only down by a touchdown, a crucial 4th and 4 call decided the fate of the game. There were three timeouts left and you decided to go for it. Why? The ball was placed deep inside Jet territory and failure to convert would have meant a clear Seattle victory. Trust your defense to make a stop!

Who is out there to replace Mangini? There is Steve Spagnuolo, Mike Shanahan, and Rex Ryan.

Personally, I wanted Bill Cowher to replace Mangini. Cowher has a great coaching background with the Steelers, including a Super Bowl win against the Seahawks. Cowher’s career winning percentage is .623 in the regular season and .574 in the postseason (12-9 record). The Jets need someone to motivate them and that is Bill Cowher. Sadly, he declined to interview and will continue broadcasting with CBS in 2009.

There is nothing wrong with Steve Spagnuolo though. Spagnuolo is a great defensive coordinator and has been coaching defenses since 1984, back when he was the defensive line coach on Lafayette College. Spagnuolo runs a 4-3 defense with the Giants and that is certainly what the Jets need, but it may be unlikely he will accept a job with the Jets. He has a nice job where he is and the Giants may make a bigger, better offer to keep Spagnuolo.

Mike Shanahan is different. He has been the head coach of the Denver Broncos for 15 years with a .616 winning percentage. Shanahan won two Super Bowl titles in his tenure with the Broncos and made it to the postseason 7 times. Though his career is impressive, he is not a head coach that focuses on defense. Plus, with the Broncos' recent collapse, who knows if the same thing will happen again with the Jets.

Rex Ryan should be the next head coach of the Jets. Ryan has been working with the Ravens’ outstanding defense since 1999 and is currently their defensive coordinator AND assistant head coach. Ryan would easily be an improvement over Mangini and he would establish the 4-3 defense. Ryan worked with the Ravens’ secondary and succeeded with it. If the Jets could improve on their secondary they would be a legitimate Super Bowl contender for 2009.

Rex Ryan brings change towards the Jets. He can fix the team's defense and help the pass defense. Changing the defense to a 4-3 would give Vernon Gholston, last year's first round pick, more of an impact and help the pass rush. Plus it solves their problem at the right defensive end. Rex Ryan should be the next head coach of the New York Jets.