After flirting with hiring Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the New York Jets decided to pull the trigger this week, hiring Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles as their new head coach.
The Jets have reportedly offered Bowles a four-year contract. Bowles spent all day Tuesday in meetings with Jets officials, including new General Manager Mike Maccagnan.
Bowles, along with Quinn were the two hot prospect coordinators-to-coaches entering this hiring period. Bowles may have gotten the edge on Quinn simply from being available. Quinn can not interview with any team until the Seahawks win the Super Bowl or are eliminated from the playoffs.
The #Jets followed the #Chargers model with Mike McCoy a few years back. If you want to hire a guy, don’t let him leave the building.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) enero 14, 2015
The Cardinals gave up just 19.5 points per game, good enough for fifth in the NFL since 2013. Bowles cobbled together a defense in Arizona with few big names and stars, using schemes and blitzes to flummox opponents. The Cardinals used a 3-4 base so Bowles should be able to use New York’s personnel, with some upgrades at defensive back.
Why were the #Jets sold on Todd Bowles? They loved him as a leader and how he used personnel with #AZCardinals, even with all the injuries
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) enero 14, 2015
Former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Chan Gailey will reportedly join Bowles staff in New York.
Dick LeBaeu, who just resigned from the Pittsburgh Steelers Monday, is the early favorite to replace Bowles in Arizona.
With the Bills and Jets filling their open head coaching jobs just days apart, that leaves five jobs still open after John Fox and the Denver Broncos parted ways Monday. The other four being the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.
Quinn, Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, John Fox and former Broncos/Redskins Head Coach Mike Shanahan are the big names still jobless. Now that these two jobs are gone and Quinn still trapped in Seattle, don’t be surprised to see a flurry of hires over the next few days.
