Rex Ryan believes he’ll ‘100 percent’ be next Jets coach

Rex Ryan believes he’ll ‘100 percent’ be next Jets coach

There may be no bigger believer that Rex Ryan will get the Jets head coaching job than Rex Ryan himself. 

Ryan, who coached the Jets from 2009-14, is looking for another crack at the job and will interview with Jets ownership this week in Florida. 

But unlike other candidates, Ryan has been actively campaigning for the position through various appearances on ESPN properties – the network that currently employs him as an analyst – and was at it again on Monday morning proudly proclaiming he was the “best guy” for the gig and he “100 percent” thought he would get it.

Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan has been adamant about his intentions to get his old Jets job back. Screengrab

Ryan, 62, appeared on ESPN New York’s “DiPietro & Rothenberg Show” where he boasted about himself and took a sH๏τ at Aaron Rodgers’ “country club” mentality. 

“The reason I think I’m going to get it is because I’m the best guy for it. It ain’t close,” Ryan said during the radio appearance. “The thing you have to do is, you have to connect with your football team, you have to connect with your fan base. The way they play, that’s the most important thing. It’s not just the Xs and Os and all that. This Ben Johnson, I love him, I absolutely love him, but I’m a better candidate for this job than he would be.”

Johnson, the current Lions offensive coordinator and one of the H๏τtest coaching prospects on the market, is not expected to interview for the Jets job. 

But the Jets have already interviewed former тιтans coach Mike Vrabel and former Panthers coach Ron Rivera, and have submitted interview requests for a number of names connected to other teams. 

Ryan had been the head coach the last time the Jets made a postseason appearance and under his reign, the Jets made back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances in 2009 and 2010. 

He was fired after the 2014 season when the team went 4-12. 

Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan coached the Jets from 2009-14. Paul J. Bereswill

The Jets are coming off another disastrous season despite mᴀssive expectations for the team with a healthy Rodgers under center after missing all of the 2023 season following an injury in the first offensive series of his Jets tenure. 

Rodgers struggled for parts of the 2024 season and was criticized for missing mandatory minicamp in the spring, which ended up costing him approximately $100,000 in a fine. 

“Clearly, when you have a guy that doesn’t show up for mandatory minicamp — and, by the way, he’s your quarterback, coming off an injury — I think that’s an absolutely ridiculous message you send to the team,” Ryan said of Rodgers during the interview. “If he comes back, things would be different. If he’s back, it ain’t gonna be the country club, show up whenever the hell you want to show up. That ain’t gonna happen. I’ll just leave it at that.” 

Rodgers’ future with the Jets is unclear and owner Woody Johnson told The Post’s Brian Costello in an exclusive interview that any Rodgers decision would be made by the new head coach and general manager. 

Related Posts

Ex-Giants player attacks Democrat Minneapolis mayor candidate compared to Zohran Mamdani

Ex-Giants player attacks Democrat Minneapolis mayor candidate compared to Zohran Mamdani

Ex-New York Giants player Carter Coughlin has launched a savage attack on the Democratic party’s Omar Fateh after he was nominated as their candidate for mayor of…

JC Tretter resigning from NFLPA in another stunning move days after executive director scandal

JC Tretter resigning from NFLPA in another stunning move days after executive director scandal

The NFLPA’s nightmare saga has a new chapter.  JC Tretter, the union’s chief strategy officer, is resigning from his position and removing himself from consideration to be…

BREAKING NEWSAndy Reid breaks silence on devastating Kansas City Chiefs setback before training camp

BREAKING NEWSAndy Reid breaks silence on devastating Kansas City Chiefs setback before training camp

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has admitted he is starting training camp completely in the dark over the status of wide receiver Rashee Rice. Last…

Ex-New York Giants player retires from the NFL four years after being drafted

Ex-New York Giants player retires from the NFL four years after being drafted

Defensive end Elerson Smith has announced his retirement from the NFL four years after being drafted by the Giants. Smith, a fourth-round pick by New York in…

Bengals sign Desmond Ridder to add depth behind Joe Burrow

Bengals sign Desmond Ridder to add depth behind Joe Burrow

Former starter-turned-backup Desmond Ridder has agreed to join the Bengals, adding depth behind Joe Burrow. Cincinnati officially announced Ridder’s signing Sunday, filling out a quarterback room behind…

Cincinnati Bengals sign ex-Falcons and Raiders QB to compete with Joe Burrow in 2025 season

Cincinnati Bengals sign ex-Falcons and Raiders QB to compete with Joe Burrow in 2025 season

The Bengals have signed quarterback Desmond Ridder, according to a report. Ridder, 25, was a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and has played for the…