It seems no matter who the Jets end up with in their search for a new head coach, a significant segment of the fan base will flail their hands in exasperation.
Fifty years of misfortune will do that to fans. We have no faith that these particular overseers of the process -- owner Christopher Johnson and his "adviser," general manager Mike Maccagnan -- will fare any better with this selection than those who came before him.
It's also true, at least at this point, that there is no candidate who can unite the different fan factions. No Bill Parcells-type is currently available.
I heard from many who believe that this job "is not entry level," thereby eliminating anyone with no prior NFL head coaching experience. Also, they want their new coach to be a "quarterback whisperer," someone with a résumé that suggests he would work well to develop Sam Darnold, the Jets' 21-year-old franchise QB. I concur that the Jets need a change from their past legion of defense-oriented coaches, like recently axed Todd Bowles, who have kept this team in the relative Dark Ages for much of the last 20 years.
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Of the three candidates who best fit those qualifications and are on the Jets' reported interview list as of Sunday -- Mike McCarthy, Adam Gase and Jim Caldwell -- all would come with some baggage. There were reasons why each was fired from their previous gigs.
Even McCarthy, who won Super Bowl XLV with Green Bay, is being criticized for not accomplishing more with Aaron Rodgers, one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in NFL history.
I would consider McCarthy to be the best option of the three, but I'm not optimistic he chooses New York. He interviewed with the Jets on Saturday and left town without a signed contract in hand.
Why would he, when he allegedly chafed at his input level into personnel decisions in Green Bay? In Johnson's press conference a week ago, he was adamant that any candidate who asked for such a perk would be told to look elsewhere. The Jets are maintaining the organizational structure whereby the GM and head coach each report separately to ownership.
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Because it's worked wonderfully so far.
That, in my opinion, would also appear to put the kibosh on any recruitment of Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, who received my endorsement last week.
I also noted then that I would bet that any coach considering multiple opportunities around the league would list Maccagnan's continued presence as a "con" on his Jets board. Here's a guy whose teams have gone 14-34 in the last three seasons, including 4-12 in 2018, with a roster of players he handpicked.
One more bad season could send Maccagnan packing, creating an unnecessary layer of uncertainty for a prospective coach to consider.
That would put the Jets shopping in the secondary market, where retreads like Gase and Caldwell would be hard sells to the public. Gase's exit from Miami suggested that he may need work with interpersonal skills. The New York Post reported that Gase, who interviewed with the Jets on Friday, clashed with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, and The Miami Herald alluded to more questions about Gase's makeup. Maybe the firing will be a wake-up call for Gase before his next stop, but I don't want the Jets to take that risk.
Caldwell, who is scheduled to interview this week, is more well-respected by players and the media. He also owns Super Bowl rings from prior stints as assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach with the Colts and offensive coordinator/QB coach with the Ravens. However, I'd be concerned that he's not the guy you want to shake up the Jets' losing culture. He's known to be "a players' coach," and my memories of him on the Colts' sidelines are of a Bowles-like automaton who looked clueless regarding the events around him as his often-favored teams underachieved. Pass, please.
The Jets also interviewed Chiefs "offensive coordinator" Eric Bieniemy last week. I used parentheses because head coach Andy Reid calls the Chiefs' plays, though Bieniemy has been credited with designing game plans. I question how much Bieniemy, a former NFL running back, has influenced the development of MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes at QB.
I'm more curious about Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who designed the league's No. 1 passing attack (320 yards per game) in his first season calling plays with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston as his QBs. Monken, who reportedly has interviews lined up in Green Bay and Cincinnati, will meet with the Jets on Tuesday.
As for the other first-time candidates, Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard, a real long shot given his background as a defensive assistant, squeezed in the Jets on Sunday in Texas, where it is rumored that their trip could be extended to Monday to visit Baylor University's head coach, Matt Rhule. If the intent of meetings with college coaches like Rhule or USC offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury (who has reportedly been denied the opportunity to interview for NFL jobs by USC) is to gather information, that's fine. However, other than Harbaugh, who has NFL head coaching experience, the Jets should steer clear of college coaches. The Jets don't have the time for that much of a learning curve.
As you can see, this is not an awe-inspiring list. If McCarthy likes what he hears in Cleveland this week, that could take the most accomplished coach out of the running. The choices would then boil down to three types: waiting to see if a playoff team fires its coach (i.e., John Harbaugh in Baltimore), or getting it over with by hiring a retread like Caldwell or an unproven offensive guru like Monken, who may or may not be next season's version of Sean McVay or Matt Nagy.
It's still too soon to get a read as to which direction the Jets will choose. Unfortunately, my gut is telling me it's going to be the wrong one.
For a FAN's perspective of the Nets, Devils and Jets, follow Steve on Twitter @SteveLichtenst1.
