Doug Marrone is not exactly hot candidate, so Jets owner Woody Johnson should take his time
The two men Johnson picks to be the next coach and GM will define the franchise's next few seasons - and possible turnaround - so he'd better take his time and make sure he chooses wisely.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Published: Sunday, January 4, 2015, 11:06 PM Updated: Sunday, January 4, 2015, 11:33 PM A A A
No one seems to be in a rush to hire Doug Marrone, who walked out on the Bills, so the Jets shouldn't be either.
No one seems to be in a rush to hire Doug Marrone, who walked out on the Bills, so the Jets shouldn't be either.
Woody Johnson will have to sift through the egos, mirages and misdirection to find the best two-man team to lead his franchise back to relevance.
For all the recent discussion about the merits of hiring a general manager before a head coach or a head coach before a general manager, the Jets owner’s mission statement has been clear in the first week since John Idzik’s and Rex Ryan’s ousters: Find a partnership that makes the most sense to lift his team out of the cellar.
“That combination is the most underrated dynamic in the business,” a veteran front office executive said.
The Jets entered the search process hoping to first land a GM, but circumstance and competition might dictate a different path. The wisest course is to identify the front office man before the sideline man. Strong and successful head coaches sometimes warrant deviation from the blueprint, but there is no candidate right now who fits that profile.
Doug Marrone, the perceived front-runner, has no real market for his services.
The Falcons are slated to interview him Monday, but the Jets shouldn’t feel any sense of urgency to procure him. He’s not exactly the Falcons’ top choice, according to league sources. The Bears were reportedly interested, but seeing is believing there. Marrone isn’t scheduled for an interview in Chicago.
Memo to Woody Johnson: Marrone needs you. You don’t need him.
The Jets must maximize their chances of pairing two top-notch people with a shared team-building philosophy.
It should be an equal partnership. The Jets, like any team, run the risk of empowering a head coach if he is chosen before the GM.
Pete Carroll, who built a dynasty at USC, and Andy Reid, who went to five NFC championship games and one Super Bowl in Philly, made sense to bring into the fold before a GM was in place. Carroll’s and Reid’s resumes warranted the moves.
None in the current crop, including Marrone, falls into that category.
The Jets have interviewed Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable, Jets running backs coach Anthony Lynn and Marrone for the head coaching gig.
Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who met with the Bills in San Diego on Sunday, is set to interview on Wednesday, according to a source. The Jets will interview Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, whose team was bounced from the playoffs, this week. They have requested an interview with Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, who has made it clear that he won’t take any interviews until his team is eliminated from the postseason.
The Jets were among four teams to interview Quinn over the weekend. Sources believe that Seattle personnel executive Trent Kirchner, who interviewed last weekend, would not be paired with Quinn, whose preference would be to work with a more seasoned front office man.
Former Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik, who spent 19 seasons in Tampa’s front office, has a history with Quinn. Dominik, an ESPN analyst, and Quinn became close during Quinn’s two-year run as the University of Florida defensive coordinator. A Quinn-Dominik partnership would make sense for the Jets.
The team has already identified a few GM candidates who have a history with Marrone.
Eagles pro personnel director Rick Mueller, who worked with Marrone in New Orleans for three seasons, interviewed with the Jets brain trust Sunday. Texans college scouting director Mike Maccagnan, who has a dual link with lead consultant Charley Casserly and Marrone, is scheduled to interview Monday. Saints director of player personnel Ryan Pace was also added to the Jets interview wish list.
A Kubiak-Maccagnan pairing (given their Houston ties) would fit the familiarity criteria, but the Jets should try to find the best people for the jobs.
“This is the ultimate team sport and the team has to be in the building as well,” Johnson said. “(The GM and head coach) have to understand each other as people.”
The Jets could use a creative and innovative offensive mind to groom a quarterback and lead them into the future, but there’s no denying Quinn has been the most sought- after candidate on the market to this point.
Teams have real, not perceived, interest in his services. He doesn’t need help to inflate his stock.
The Jets were impressed with Quinn’s interview, but are they willing to wait on him until Seattle’s playoff run is over? If so, who’s the best front office man to team with him?
There’s too much riding on these two hires for Johnson to cede to imaginary pressure from outside forces.