Could Bill Cowher really return as head coach of the New York Jets?
The rumor picked up steam this week after WFAN’s Boomer Esiason, who works with Cowher on the CBS Sunday pregame show, floated the idea of the Hall of Fame coach returning the sideline for the Jets as a possibility.
Cowher, however, set the record straight in an interview with ESPN Jets beat reporter Rich Cimini.
“I have no interest in coaching,” he said. “I have too much respect for the coaching profession to talk about a job that isn’t open. From that perspective, any job that is open, I have no interest in coaching.”
If you really want to get technical, though, the Jets job is not yet open.
Adam Gase is still employed as the head coach of the Jets, but the expectation is that he will be gone by the end of the season as the team entered Sunday 0-12.
Cowher, 63, has not coached in the NFL since 2006 when his 15-year tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers came to an end. His name has come up as a potential candidate over the years, and was even a consideration for the Jets job in 2009 before he withdrew his name early in the process.
While we can parse Cowher’s words all we want, Cimini noted that Cowher was pretty emphatic that he has no interest in coaching.
The Jets job could be the most intriguing head coaching position on the market, though. Should the Jets continue to lose and hold onto the worst record in the league, they will hold the No. 1 pick and a chance to draft Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who is expected to declare for the NFL Draft.
Yet, the Jets’ problems lie beyond just a franchise quarterback, and whoever the next head coach is will have their hands full in trying to rebuild a franchise into a playoff contender.
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App
Follow RADIO.COM Sports
Twitter | Facebook I Instagram