There are three certainties in these uncertain times: death, taxes, and a new coach of the New York Jets next season. On the latter, the only two exciting variables left are whether the Jets will finish an 0-16 season, and whom they will pick to replace Adam Gase.
Let's address the latter by climbing the ladder of possibilities; some will be obvious, others from far outer space, and while there are more candidates than listed here, we have intentionally omitted Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who could be considered but frankly has too many shadows on his résumé to be a sound choice.
Here are seven ideas in honor of Ken O’Brien and Norman Julius Esiason.
1. Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy (51 years old)
The obvious pick and former player with the best handle ever bestowed by Chris Berman – Eric “Sleeping With" Bieniemy – is the conductor of the Chiefs' offensive symphony, and a man who will be the top candidate for every NFL coaching vacancy this winter. He just won a ring as Andy Reid's top assistant, and gets credit for fine tuning Patrick Mahomes into a dazzling QB machine. An assistant coach can't be in a better position than that of the former Colorado Buffaloes running back. Do the Jets think he can be the QB whisperer for Trevor Lawrence? That's the only real question that needs to be answered.
2. Ravens OC Greg Roman (48 years old)
Perhaps the most interesting name in the bunch is Roman, who made Colin Kaepernick into a superstar as Niners offensive coordinator. As soon as Roman left, Kaepernick fell apart, and chose social activism over riding the NFL pine. For a sequel, Roman has remolded another wonderfully gifted athlete into a Pro Bowl quarterback, as Lamar Jackson blossomed from a tweener coming out of Louisville into an MVP. Roman has used Jackson's incredible legs without forgetting about his formidable arm, and Jackson is an astonishing 25-5 over his first 30 games, tying Dan Marino for the most QB wins after 30 games in NFL history. The Ravens are solid, stable, and produce fine coaches.
3. Bills OC Brian Daboll (45 years old)
The offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills has done something Gase has not - turned their top draft pick into gridiron gold. Josh Allen, out of that football factory of Wyoming, is having a breakout year under Daboll, while Darnold is toiling under the alleged QB guru with Gang Green. Though picked later in the first round, Allen is 22-14 as an NFL QB, while Darnold is 11-21 over the same period. Sure, the Bills have better players, but not enough to explain this chasm in production.
4. Falcons Interim HC Raheem Morris (44 years old
)It's important to look seriously at minority candidates, and Morris, who hails from Newark, should get another shot after taking the Tampa Bay job at age 33 and failing a few years later. Morris is now the interim coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and they are playing decidedly harder and better than they were before he was handed the job. It also helps to know that coaches on their second real gigs as head coaches have done pretty well. It's a list that includes Don Shula, Dick Vermeil, Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, and now Andy Reid. We're not saying Morris belongs on this list; we're saying he should get a chance to find out.
5. Titans OC Arthur Smith (38 years old)
If Gase doesn't look woefully bad enough right now, consider that Smith has done another thing Gase failed to do – win, and win a lot, with QB Ryan Tannehill. While Tannehill floundered in Miami, barely above .500, he has flourished under Tennessee's offensive coordinator. As QB of the Titans, Tannehill is 13-5, made a stunning run to the AFC title game, and signed a lovely new contract. In Miami, the coach got canned and the QB got dumped.
6/7. NCAA HCs Dabo Swinney / Lincoln Riley (50 and 37 years old)
Lincoln Riley has the name, game, and youthfully handsome face to lead any program, and Dabo Swinney sounds like the owner of a Southern strip club – but both have built football utopias at Oklahoma and Clemson, respectively. Riley has no incentive to leave a place where he calls all the shots, picks his own players, and makes more money than he can spend. Plus, he hasn't done what his mentor (Bob Stoops) has - won a national championship.
Swinney, of course, has built an empire from the basement, and has somehow nudged a nose ahead of the king of college football, Nick Saban. He beat the Alabama coach twice in national title games, once with DeShaun Watson, and the other with Trevor Lawrence. But why leave paradise for purgatory? The only temptation would be to coach his top pupil, Lawrence, at the next level. But that's not enough, and there's no amount of money that will give Swinney more than he already has - eternal job security, a modicum of privacy, and blank checks in perpetuity.
8. Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh (56 years old)
Laugh if you like, but Harbaugh will need to find a new home if he can't beat Ohio State (or even Michigan State). For all his warts, Harbaugh was a can't-miss coach before he took the gig at his alma mater, and his record with the San Francisco 49ers (44-19-1) is no laughing matter, considering he did it with Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick under center. Imagine the possibilities with Trevor Lawrence and a blazing desire to rebuild his reputation? The Jets came quite close to bagging his brother, so maybe Jim was always the right Harbaugh. Plus, there's that thing with NFL coaches in their second gigs.
Bonus Pick: Patriots HC Bill Belichick (68 years old
)Why not? It sounds absurd off the tongue, but the NFL coach with the best résumé east of Vince Lombardi can't possibly add to his legacy in New England. While he has ample cap money coming next year, the Jets should have more, and Gang Green also has loads of draft stock in 2021 (including two first-round picks and two second-round picks) and access to the one thing the Patriots don't: a franchise quarterback. It would allow Belichick to rewrite the results of his divorce from Tom Brady, a chance to go back home (to the Meadowlands, where his career really took shape) and to finish the job he never started 20 years ago when he resigned as the HC of the NYJ.
Follow Jason Keidel on Twitter: @JasonKeidel
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