Bobby April Fired

[Mainejet]

+1

The special teams was abysmal all year. Its nice to see coaches are being held accountable too, and players know that if coaches are accountable, EVERYBODY is accountable. That said, I would love to see Bowles coax Westhoff out of retirement. Ray Lucus was kidding him on the SNY set about it, and I could be wrong, but I thought I saw a little gleam in Westy's eye at the suggestion, and he didn't say NO, just sort of laughed about it.

I came away thinking the same. He's always said he got done because ownership ruled ST right out of the game. He felt he no longer had a job to do. But like you said, maybe if they named him ST coordinator/Assistant HC he might bite? I am just thinking that if this guy wants more responsibility than what he currently has, then the Jets should grant him that privilege. What has he ever done than be a great ST coach to not be deserving of responsibility?

 

[HYATT™]

Heheheheh, makes me think of Richie (Bobbie) Aprile's end, in Season 4 of "The Sopranos".

Tony Soprano (to his sister Janice, about Richie's eventual fate): "someplace on a hill, overlooking a little river, with pinecones all around, - in several individual plastic bags."

 

[flgreen]

If I could find a place to bet on it, my big money would go on Keith Armstrong being the Jets next ST's coach.

He's who Bowles wanted in the first place

 

[flgreen]

Jets closing in on special teams coach Keith Armstrong

Posted by Darin Gantt on January 8, 2016, 6:32 AM EST

Atlanta Falcons special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong speaks during an NFL football media availability at their training facility in Flowery Branch, Ga., Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013. Atlanta is scheduled to host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game Sunday. (AP Photo/John Amis)
AP
When new coaches put together staffs, they can’t always get the guys they want. But it appears Jets coach Todd Bowles is closing in on his first choice.

According to Seth Walder of the New York Daily News, Falcons special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong is expected to join Bowles soon.

Bowles tried to hire him a year ago, but the Falcons wouldn’t let him out of his contract. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that contract is up now, leaving Armstrong free to go.

The two coaches together three years at Temple under Cardinals coach Bruce Arians.

Armstrong has interviewed for head coaching jobs, and has been with the Falcons since 2008. He was previously with the Dolphins and Bears.

The Jets fired Bobby April on Wednesday, creating the opening.

 

[hobson54]

i guess you can scratch westhoff off your list of candidates:

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-je...iring-bobby-april-a-case-of-cowardice-by-jets

Ex-coach Mike Westhoff: Firing Bobby April a case of 'cowardice' by Jets


No, retired special-teams coach Mike Westhoff isn't interested in returning to the New York Jets (they haven't asked), but the outspoken former coach has strong feelings about the job opening.

“I don’t like the fact that only after one year you would fire Bobby April,” Westhoff said Thursday on ESPN New York 98.7, which pays him as an analyst. “I know him, but it’s not like this is a friend of mine. I’m very disappointed in the fact that happened. Frankly, I’ll tell you exactly how I feel. I think it’s cowardice. And that’s a one-word synonym for the two-word phrase I really think.”

Westhoff continued, essentially saying coach Todd Bowles made April the scapegoat for failing to make the playoffs.

“You can’t let Buffalo beat you twice if you think you’re good enough to play in the playoffs. You can’t do that,” Westhoff said. “But anyways, what (firing April) says to me is: 'Well, we’ve got to blame somebody. So, let’s blame these guys.'"

Westhoff acknowledged the Jets had "a tough year" on special teams. That's an understatement, as they finished in the bottom-five in most of the major statistical categories.

While praising Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan for making "tremendous moves" that "fortified this football team," Westhoff added, "They didn’t do anything with special teams. They did nothing. Zero. So why would you think it’d be that good?

“Maybe if there were some things we don’t know, maybe some mandates that they asked and didn’t get done. Well, then I understand that. But you know, you gave the guy a chance, you gave him one year and you didn’t do anything to help him out. What makes you think all of a sudden they’re going to be pretty good? It’s not going to happen.”

There's some legitimacy to what Westhoff said, especially with regard to the lack of personnel, but there's another factor at play: Bowles already has a potential replacement in mind. As soon as he fired April, the first name that jumped into my head was Keith Armstrong, the Atlanta Falcons' special-teams coach. Bowles and Armstrong were teammates at Temple in the 1980s. Bowles tried to hire him last year, but was blocked by the Falcons. This time, Armstrong's contract reportedly is expiring, so he'll be a free agent unless he re-ups with Atlanta.

Don't be surprised if there's an Owl reunion at One Jets Drive

 

[LGM]

Another reason NOT to bring this bitter old geezer back.

If the bragging blowhard was still the HC he'd be a lock. You can understand his comments about Mac though.

Mac treats draft picks as precious assets and his scouting staff makes the calls

Back in the good old Rex/Tanny days draft picks were considered Cracker Jacks prizes to be handed out to the coaches to "improve special teams"...

From Collision Low Cruisers we see Tanny quoted....

"OK guys, third round done...fourth round is yours Rex....Westy...you get the next 2

Better he contnues as a member of SNY gang sniping at the team every chance he can

 

[jetgreen13]

LOLz it seems westhoff clearly prefers his current occupation over his prior one..

that & i believe he's still stung at the jets for showing no interest in him as a possible new HC candidate after ryan was fired..

i had forgotten about the bad blood between westhoff & woody johnson that has subcequently spilled over on to bowles as well.. my opinion anyway..