Ranking potential New York Jets head coaches for 2021 and beyond

There are many candidates, but who's the right one? Today we rank the New York Jets' potential head coaches for 2021 and beyond. On a Thursday in Florham Park, NJ, Adam Gase's team moved through just another normal practice. After a quick team session lasting several plays, the New York Jets broke out into positionals. The defensive backs went their way to work on a little situational coverage, the offensive linemen decided to get after it with some half-line looks, and the running backs worked the gauntlet. https://twitter.com/RobbySabo/status/1334564097535455232 There was just one exception: Frank Gore. Gore, 37, is an old running back. That's no secret, and the man himself would have no problem admitting that fact. Due to his age, at least once a week, the man watches practice instead of participating. As understandable as that is, it presents a major problem. Suddenly, one man is being treated much differently than the rest of the team. This is not ideal. Just think about the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady dynamic. Over the years, the two of them have admitted the idea that Brady would never be treated differently than any one of the 53 players on the depth chart. Brady's even encouraged tongue lashings in the effort to showcase that he's just one of the guys. The importance of that is tough to see, but it's as important as anything in football. Perhaps Gase understands that. Perhaps not. The fact that Gore is being treated differently is, in fact, the reality of the situation. Gore's off-days are just one more reason to think Joe Douglas and the Jets organization will make a change at season's end. By no means is this Gore situation a final nail in the coffin; it's one bad look out of many for the current head coach. Whether his specialty is offense or defense, the next man in charge for the Jets must have the innate feel for commanding a locker room that Gase has not quite shown during his tenure in New Jersey. Today, we rank the top 10 potential head coaching candidates that could represent exactly what the Jets will be looking for. Notables Greg Roman, Baltimore Ravens OC Brian Schottenheimer, Seattle Seahawks OC Pete Carmichael, New Orleans Saints OC Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City Chiefs OC Nathaniel Hackett, Green Bay Packers OC Todd Monken, Georgia OC Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Rams DC Dave Toub, Kansas City Chiefs STC Nick Sirianni, Indianapolis Colts OC Perhaps for some people, seeing Eric Bieniemy in the notables is a bit of a shock. On the plus side, the Andy Reid coaching tree has found great success at the head-coaching level in the NFL. On the negative side, who's calling the plays? Reid is the obvious architect of the Kansas City Chiefs offense. Sprinkle in the idea that running backs rarely make for great head coaches, and suddenly, Bieniemy doesn't look too promising. The two most intriguing notables are Todd Monken and Brandon Staley. Monken's offensive attributes are clear---he had a successful run as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator from 2016-18. Staley has kept the Rams defense churning following the departure of numerous key starters and veteran coordinator Wade Phillips, and would bring a youthful defensive energy to New Jersey. 10. Brian Daboll, Buffalo Bills OC Much like Greg Roman, Brian Daboll's offense relies on the quarterback ground game. Nothing is more frustrating for a defense than a quarterback scrambling for yards after the coverage does its job. Thanks to Josh Allen, Daboll's offense possesses a clear advantage with his ground game. His big frame allows for Daboll to put Allen in the designed rushing attack---something most offensive coordinators can't do, and something the Jets probably won't be looking to do much of with Trevor Lawrence, the kid they'd select if they finish No. 1 in the tank race. Nevertheless, Daboll's work with developing Allen from the ground up is commendable, as his work with grooming the talent on Buffalo's offensive line. 9. Chuck Pagano, Chicago Bears DC Looking at a retread head coach isn't fun. But remember, Chuck Pagano enjoyed solid success in his first go at it in Indianapolis. The man made the playoffs in each of his first three seasons with the Colts, improving in each of those first three years until they reached the AFC championship game in 2014. 8. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan HC Again, the roll of the eyes is obvious when reading this name. Jim Harbaugh probably shouldn't be considered due to his rough stint in Ann Arbor, but he has to be in the top 10 thanks to intrigue alone. It's not hard to imagine Jets ownership dialing Harbaugh's number. Maybe Harbaugh is simply an NFL head coach who is not cut out for the college game. Sure, he had plenty of talent in San Francisco, but the team did fall apart once Harbaugh left. The greatest Harbaugh positive is this: Finally, the Jets would have an actual head coach rather than an offensive or defensive play-caller. 7. Matt Eberflus, Indianapolis Colts DC The 50-year-old Matt Eberflus is probably hurt by the fact that most organizations are looking to hire offensive-minded head coaches. The linebacker-focused defensive mind has been the Colts defensive coordinator since 2018. This season, Eberflus has Indy's defense ranked eighth in DVOA. 6. Robert Saleh, San Francisco 49ers DC Another defensive name with seemingly tremendous leadership ability comes in the form of San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. It's tough to judge the man based on this injury-riddled campaign by the Bay, but Saleh led the Niners defense to the second-ranked spot in DVOA a year ago. This year, despite injuries to Nick Bosa and Richard Sherman in addition to the trading of DeForest Bucker, Saleh's unit is still ninth-best in DVOA. 5. Joe Brady, Carolina Panthers OC The rapid up and comer is Joe Brady, the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator. Other than letting the Jets know how former friend Robby Anderson is doing, Matt Rhule's right-hand man would bring youth, enthusiasm, and a forward-thinking offensive mindset that is working wonders in Charlotte. The Panthers are eighth in offensive DVOA despite lacking Christian McCaffrey for most of the season. At only 31 years of age, Brady would come in as a Sean McVay-type hire, but he is even more unproven and inexperienced than McVay was when he made the leap to head coach several years back. Brady would represent a high-risk, high-reward hire. 4. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma HC Lincoln Riley has a chance to top this list if the chance he'd enter the pros was higher. Right now, there has been no indication that he's even willing to do so. The Big 12 offensive mind steamrolls opponents into submission. Riley helped Baker Mayfield reach household status while he played for the Sooners, but what quarterback can't reach that level in a league that plays no defense? 3. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern HC An underrated factor in the Jets' head coaching search deals with previous head coaching experience. And since the days of Steve Spurrier's professional struggle are long gone, collegiate head coaches often fit the bill. Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald is an excellent candidate. Yes, he's a defensive mind, but he's a head coach, first and foremost---exactly what the Jets need more than anything. A Joe Judge type is what would be ideal, with the offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator handling play-calling duties. Fitzgerald has built Northwestern over a long period of time. He's been the program's head coach since 2006. 2. Arthur Smith, Tennessee Titans OC The only thing Arthur Smith doesn't have is prior head coaching experience. Then again, it's not as though it's required in today's league. With the passing yards and points exploding to a level not even the NFL thought was possible, offensive schemes rule the roost. Smith's success with Ryan Tannehill represents the polar-opposite of what the quarterback accomplished in an Adam Gase-led offense. Smith has enjoyed the benefit of one of the league's best offensive line units and running backs, in Derrick Henry, but his offensive principles cannot be argued. Henry was nowhere near the superstar he is today before Smith came in, nor was Tennessee's offensive line as feared. Once playing guard for North Carolina, Smith would get along tremendously with Joe Douglas, a fellow former offensive lineman. Smith's dad is Frederick W. Smith, the founder of FedEx. If Christopher or Woody Johnson ever need to send out Johnson & Johnson products quickly, their head coach would be just one call away. 1. Matt Campbell, Iowa State HC Topping the list (at this very moment) is Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. Admittedly, these rankings can change at any point. (Don't call me a flip-flopper; I'm just an honest fella, I suppose.) Before the Jets hired Gase, they reached out to Campbell. He rejected them. Now, his name is littered across the NFL as a candidate. Campbell's father was a coach at Jackson High School in Jackson County, OH. Matt, the son, played at Jackson's rival, Perry, who won three conference championships while he was on the squad. Snagging his first non-graduate assistant job at D3 powerhouse Mount Union, Campbell has slowly but surely risen through the college ranks. After he inherited a terrible program, Campbell led the Cyclones to an 8-5 record in 2017 in just his second season. He has a 30-18 career record, including 7-2 and a No. 9 national ranking in 2020. Campbell has put together four straight winning seasons at an Iowa State program that had posted a losing record in 10 of its last 11 seasons prior to his entrance. Much like Smith, Campbell's background is along the offensive line as well. Interestingly, however, Campbell played defensive line in college, for Mount Union, where he won three D3 National Championships. Bill Belichick played for Wesleyan University once upon a time---a D3 football program. Oftentimes, D3 players make for the best coaches. More critical than a generic wishlist is the overall fit. This means we'll have to wait until these next five games are first played. Will Trevor Lawrence man down the quarterback position for the Jets? If so, Douglas will have an incredible leg-up on the competition, and perhaps looking to mold the head coach around the new quarterback would be the idea. Even in the case Lawrence is the guy, don't cross off the non-offensive minded guys from the list. Douglas is the type who understands that the head coach needs to first manage the entire team rather than worry about offensive or defensive schemes as a first priority. Once Week 17 concludes, our first official idea surrounding the New York Jets' possible future head coach will take shape.