The Jets are officially on the hunt for a new offensive coordinator, as Robert Saleh confirmed to reporters on Thursday that the team and Mike LaFleur agreed to part ways after two seasons.
“Over the course of the few days, just got a lot of inquiries about his availability from some teams, and talking with Mike, just felt like it would be in everybody’s best interest for him to pursue those opportunities,” Saleh said. “So he’s going to be fine.”
Asked why Saleh and the Jets didn’t try to keep LaFleur rather than allowing him to pursue those other opportunities, Saleh kept it vague.
“I always try to do right by people,” Saleh said. “Like I said, he had options, and there was a lot of discussion over the last few days. You guys know I love Mike, I love his family, all that good stuff. If it was something that he wanted to pursue, we just gave him the ability to go do that.”
LaFleur received heavy criticism from fans for some of his play calls, the lack of development from quarterback Zach Wilson, and the lack of a single touchdown over the final three games of the season. Clearly, New York felt the offensive philosophy needed to be changed, as Saleh also announced that receivers coach Miles Austin III is no longer in that position after two seasons, and offensive line coach John Benton.
“Not gonna get into any details on that one,” Saleh said of Benton. “Love John, he’s been coaching in this league for a very long time and I’ve been with him for a very long time. Just wanted to go in a different direction.”
As for who initiated the need for a coaching change, Saleh said the directive did not come from ownership, and that Woody Johnson let his front office and head coach decide what to do with LaFleur and the other coaches who are now searching for other jobs.
“Woody gives us full autonomy with decision making,” Saleh said. “He's completely supportive of any decision we make.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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