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#pounditThursday, December 26, 2024

Rex Ryan campaigning hard for surprising NFL head coach job

November 22, 2024
by Steve DelVecchio
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Aug 26, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan during a NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Rex Ryan has made it clear that he wants to coach in the NFL again, and you might be surprised to hear which job he is campaigning the hardest for.

Ryan wants another shot to coach the New York Jets. The 61-year-old spoke about the job during a Thursday appearance on ESPN New York’s “Bart & Hahn” show. Ryan said he is confident there is no better candidate out there to turn things around for the Jets.

“Blow it up? We’re gonna blow the opponents up. There’s way too much talent on this team to play the way we’ve been playing, period,” Ryan said. “How hard can you get a guy to play? That’s the thing. Nobody’s seen a team play as hard as this team’s gonna play in the future, trust me, if I’m the guy. That’s what’s gonna be it. That’s what’s gonna separate me from all these other guys you’re gonna bring in. You know, your (Jon) Grudens, your whatever, give me a break. They ain’t New York Jets. I’m all about the Jets.

“The great thing is, yeah, second chance. You get a second chance at it. They say it doesn’t happen very often. Yeah, well when it does it’s usually special. So we’ll find out if I get that chance or not. If not, I hope they have one hell of a guy in place because I still wanna be a fan of the Jets. But when I look around, I know nobody’s better than me.”

Ryan compared himself to Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell in terms of being able to get the most out of players and connect with the fan base. He also praised Woody Johnson and said the Jets owner was “fantastic” to work for. That is notable given all the recent reports that have come out about the dysfunction Johnson has supposedly created in New York.

Ryan has pitched himself as the best candidate for the Jets job in multiple interviews this week. The topic also came up when he was a guest on the latest episode of “Pardon My Take,” which was released on Friday.

“I’d like to. I’ve let everybody know I’d be interested even though I’ve got a great gig (at ESPN). I have some unfinished business with that franchise. … I just think I would get back in it if I could make a difference and I could make a difference with that team,” Ryan said.

It is unclear if Johnson has interest in a reunion with Ryan, but Rex is very serious about wanting the job.

Ryan coached the Jets from 2009-2014. He led the team to back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances in his first two seasons, but it was all downhill from there. New York has not returned to the postseason since.

Though Ryan’s 4-2 playoff record is impressive and his 46-50 regular-season record is much better than what his successors accomplished, the Jets will likely want a fresh face. Ryan might have a better chance of landing a defensive coordinator job, and he was linked to a prominent one not all that long ago.

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