As expected, the New York Jets began the process of cleaning house first thing Monday morning when the team announced that both head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik have been fired.
Ryan compiled a record or 46-50 in six seasons with the Jets, including back-to-back AFC Championship appearances in 2009 and 2010. Idzik was only in his current position for two years.
Despite a gutsy performance to end their season on a high note against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the Jets finished just 4-12. Ryan had never lost more than 10 games in a season during his tenure prior to 2014.
“Over the years, Rex brought the Jets a bold confidence and a couple of great post-season runs, which all of us will remember,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said after the news was made official, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
So what’s next for Ryan? If he wants to take a year off, Rex would have no trouble getting a job working as a studio analyst for any of the major sports networks. If he does return to coaching, there’s reason to believe it will not be in a defensive coordinator or assistant coach role.
Several head coaching jobs are expected to open up on Monday or at some point this week. Those could include the Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers. As we explained previously, the Falcons could make a lot of sense.
