The New York Jets 2024 season has not gone how many within the organization were hoping for. Despite Quarterback Aaron Rodgers being healthy and trading for his partner in crime in Wide Receiver Davante Adams, the season has been lackluster. A heavy casualty of this underperformance was Head Coach Robert Saleh, who was fired after a 2-3 start to the season.
Defensive Coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was named the Interim Head Coach and will look to turn the ship in a positive direction. But if the ship continues to sail southward, New York will be in the market for a new Head Coach. With that being said, here are some Head Coach candidates that could help turn around the Jets as a much needed Christmas gift.
Candidate #1 Bill Belichick-Ex Patriots Head Coach
Yes, I know what happened on January 5th, 2000. Bill Belichick was named the new Head Coach of the New York Jets but backed out after 1 day and the rest is history. I’m sure that infamous day has probably left plenty of Jets fans with PTSD, but sometimes if you want to move forward you have to move on from the past. What more is there to say about Bill? The 72 year old, 6 time Super Bowl Champion and 9 time AFC Champion is widely regarded as the best sideline boss to pick up the play sheet and is second in all time wins among Head Coaches in NFL history.
His tenure in Foxboro didn’t end very well, both from on the field performance and some puzzling decisions made as General Manager in his final few seasons with the team. But it would be hard for me to see the future Hall of Famer not roaming the sidelines for the second year in a row, even if it isn’t with the red, blue and silver.
It’s currently unknown if Bill Belichick would want to take over again as General Manager given his last few years as the lead decision maker left a lot to be deserved. But I’m sure ownership could come to some sort of compromise that can please both parties. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
Candidate #2 Ben Johnson-Lions Offensive Coordinator
Ben Johnson was thought to be a lock to become a Head Coach and lead his own team, but reports of underwhelming interviews started to surface. Most reports said Ben Johnson was asking for too much for a rookie Head Coach, but I’m sure there were also other factors that were kept behind closed doors. Whatever the reasoning was, Ben Johnson stayed put in Detroit and has put together another strong season as the Lions offensive play caller.
The Lions lead the league in scoring averaging an outstanding 31.4 points per game, are 7th in total yards at 370 per contest and are 6th in rushing offense averaging 152 yards on the ground. Last year’s interview cycle might rub some people the wrong way but Ben Johnson will get plenty of calls once again in 2025. New York’s offense has been very anemic for quite some time, but Ben Johnson has the pieces in place to field a productive and exciting unit that could give the Jets the festive jolt on offense they’ve been sorely lacking.
Candidate #3 Mike Vrabel-Ex Titans Head Coach
It was a surprise to many that respected veteran Head Coach Mike Vrabel was fired from Tennessee and equally as surprised the Bill Belichick disciple did not get hired last offseason. The 49 year old has a career 54-45 record, including 3 straight playoff berths from 2019-2021, including a run to the 2019 AFC Championship game.
If the Jets want to tap into the veteran market, Mike Vrabel would be a strong choice. Instability has plagued the Jets for a decade and a half now, but an experienced veteran with a solid track record such as Mike Vrabel could help shift the dysfunctional culture to a more stable one. There will definitely be plenty of suitors for Mike, but the Jets could be one of the more appealing options assuming the Aaron Rodgers experiment isn’t over yet.
Candidate #4 Todd Monken-Ravens Offensive Coordinator
What a season so far it’s been for Todd Monken and the Ravens offense as a whole in 2024. Through 10 games so far this season, the Baltimore offense has sparked the fireworks, leading the NFL in total yards per game(440), rushing yards per game(182.6) and points per game(31.8)! The 58 year old has also had previous stops in the NFL as an Offensive Coordinator with the Buccaneers from 2016-2018 and the Browns in 2019.
Todd doesn’t have any Head Coaching experience at the NFL record but did lead an impressive turnaround at Southern Mississippi from 2013-2015 where he took over a team that went winless in 2012. The Golden Eagles improved every year under Todd’s leadership, going from 1-11 to 3-9 to 9-5 and making the CUSA Championship game. Yes college is a far different animal than the NFL, but it shows a glimpse at what he could be as a leader of men.
Monken has successfully adapted to many different challenges over a three and a half decade long career as a coach, and the New York Jets likely won’t phase the 58 year old all that much. Whatever the Jets plan to do this offseason, whether to run it back again with the same core or overhaul the roster, Todd Monken is prepared for any challenge that lies ahead of him.
Candidate #5 Brian Flores-Vikings Defensive Coordinator
This one is a bit tricky, as Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL back in 2022 over what he called discriminatory hiring practices for minority Head Coach candidates and the lawsuit is still pending. It is unlikely Brian Flores would get hired until he drops the lawsuit, but he has also discussed he wants to be an NFL Head Coach again according to ESPN.
There was also the drama of Miami Dolphins Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa that said Brian Flores constantly berated him during his time in South Beach. Those definitely are some red flags to be weary of, but people can change over time, and I’m sure Brian can do the same.
Now that we have the controversy aside, let’s actually dive into what makes Brian Flores one of the better candidates this Head Coaching cycle. Flores is an ace defensive mind, as the Vikings are currently 3rd in the NFL in scoring defense(17.4 points allowed per game), 6th in sacks(30), 1st in interceptions(15) and 1st in turnovers overall(20). Brian also has head coaching experience during his 3 years as the sideline boss of the Miami Dolphins.
While the Dolphins don’t make the playoffs once under his leadership, he did lead the Dolphins to back to back winning seasons in his final 2 years and in the ladder year after a 1-7 start, Brian rallied the team to an 8-1 run over the final 9 games of the 2021 season to finish with a 9-8 record.
The New York Jets need a head coach who can rally the troops when the momentum is low and Brian Flores knows how to do just that. Again it will likely take him dropping the lawsuit to get hired as leader of men again, but there’s no doubting he has the leadership qualities the Jets brass are seeking.
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