The New York Jets are cleaning house as they look for a complete makeover in 2025.
Owner Woody Johnson dismissed head coach Robert Saleh after the Jets’ Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Earlier this week, general manager Joe Douglas was fired.
The Jets are 3-8 on the season and going nowhere fast. The Aaron Rodgers Era has turned into an unmitigated disaster, as the franchise is on the verge of missing the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season — the longest such stretch in major North American professional sports leagues.
With the season not turning out the way the Jets expected, Johnson decided to get an early start on finding a new head coach and general manager for next season.
The Jets will have several high-profile assistants to consider, including two options from the Detroit Lions — offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
However, one NFL insider floated the idea of a former Jets head coach, and it’s not Rex Ryan.
Could Eric Mangini save New York Jets?
The Athletic NFL insider Dianna Russini mentioned that Eric Mangini, who coached the Jets for three seasons from 2006 through 2008, could help get the franchise back on track.
“The Jets haven’t had a clear plan for winning both now and in the long term, and that’s exactly the kind of vision Mangini brought to the table when he coached the team from 2006 to ’08,” Russini wrote. “One of the toughest challenges in the NFL is figuring out how to compete in the moment while building a foundation for consistent success, and Mangini showed he could do both.”
Mangini had moderate success with the Jets. He had two winning seasons and led the Jets to the playoffs in his first season in 2006. However, sandwiched between those two winning years was a 4-12 season. Overall, he was 23-25 in his three seasons as Jets’ head coach.
Mangini would then go on to become head coach for the Cleveland Browns for two forgettable seasons, going 10-22. His last NFL coaching job was as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers in 2015.
“Sure, Mangini’s tenure wasn’t perfect, but his emotional intelligence, attention to detail, and ability to turn things around quickly left a lasting impact on the franchise,” Russini notes. “If the Jets really want to bring back someone who knows this organization and can lay a sustainable foundation, maybe it’s time to give the man once known as ‘Mangenius’ another shot. I’m told the Jets are open to all options at this point as they continue to gather information on who their top candidates will be.”
Mangini is currently an NFL analyst for Fox Sports.
It seems like a long shot that Mangini would man the Jets’ sidelines once again, and Russini did call it a “wild” idea, but New York does need to start somewhere. Could their past lead their future? Time will tell.