The next head coach of the Jets will be Rex Ryan, who will step down from his current post as the coordinator of the well-respected Baltimore Ravens defense. The Jets are reported to have made an offer almost immediately following the Ravens' loss to Pittsburgh in last night's AFC Championship. ESPN says that the terms are almost identical to the four-year, $11.5 million deal signed over the weekend by former Giants Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to become the new head coach of the St. Louis Rams.
Ryan is the son of defensive mastermind Buddy Ryan, who was raising a young Rex back when he was a coach of the Jets in the '60s and '70s, including as a staff member of the Super Bowl III Championship team. His twin brother Rob is a coach (and beast of a man) as well, ironically just hired by new Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini to head up their defense next season.
Last night the Jets apparently contacted the other candidates they had recently interviewed for the job to inform them of the choice. Today can't be a fun day for Jeff Jagodzinski, who lost his job as Boston College Head Coach just so he could throw his hat in the ring to be a candidate for the Jets job.
Rex Ryan marks the third consecutive defensive coach snatched up to lead the Jets (Mangini and Herm Edwards before him). Baltimore's (in)famous defensive leader Ray Lewis recently had this to say about him: "Coaching-wise, Rex is one thing, but as a man, when you try to talk to him, he's just like a father." The team is expected to introduce Ryan at a press conference on Wednesday.
NJ.com calls Ryan "a breath of fresh air" when compared to the often seen as lacking in charisma Mangini. They tipped us off to this clip of the Jets new coach shilling for a local office store down in Baltimore.
