So one day after coach Todd Bowles said it would be next week before any coaching decisions would be made, the Jets announced a bunch of changes yesterday, including offensive coordinator Chan Gailey retiring.
” I informed Coach Bowles prior to the 2016 season that I would retire after this season,” Gailey said in the statement. “I thought it was best to tell him early, so that he could begin to think about how he would move the team forward on offense. While we did not have the season we all wanted to have, I think there are some great people here at the Jets and in the New York/New Jersey area. I wish them all the best moving forward.”
Also not returning in 2017 are quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo, running backs coach Marcel Shipp, defensive line coach Pepper Johnson, outside linebackers coach Mark Collins and defensive backs coach Joe Danna.
The Jets finished 26th in total offense this past season and 30th in scoring. They used three starting quarterbacks, who combined for 25 interceptions with 17 coming from Ryan Fitzpatrick.
So a change needed to be made, even if Gailey wanted to stay on for another season. Now here’s the important part. Bowles, along with general manager Mike Maccagnan need to make this pick work or they both may be out of jobs after next season. They need to get younger and more aggressive.
And maybe Bowles needs make the pick as a coach who has job security and not worry about hiring his possible replacement.
An interesting pick would be former Eagles and Niners coach Chip Kelly, who has been reportedly willing to take a coordinator’s job after getting let go by San Francisco on Sunday. Kelly is obviously a failure as a captain of a ship, but he has been known for his creative offensives and may work better in the executive offer’s role.
Mike McCoy, late of the Chargers head coaching ranks, is also available and he was able to lead a successful offense in Denver.
Bowles can also go with the up and comers, like Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFillipo, who was with the Jets in 2009.
So the search begins as the Jets will be looking to fill this role over the next few weeks. Even though, Bowles wasn’t the most forthcoming on Monday when it came to making changes, yesterday’s purge was definitely a step in the right direction.
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