Most of the popular names mentioned as candidates for the New York Jets’ head coaching vacancy fall into one of two categories: big-name former head coach or hot-shot coordinator.
The Jets could very well choose to take one of those two routes. They could bring back Rex Ryan or give Mike Vrabel his second chance. On the other side of the coin, they could go after the leader of a surging unit, like Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson or Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
However, it cannot be ruled out that the Jets go for an outside-the-box hire who does not fall into one of those two categories. This possibility is always on the table for any team seeking a new head coach, but it’s especially noteworthy for a Jets team that may have trouble attracting the top candidates due to the reputation of owner Woody Johnson and the overall drama that surrounds the franchise.
While it is rare to see teams hire a head coach who does not have any previous experience as a head coach or an offensive/defensive coordinator, it is not unprecedented. Andy Reid, John Harbaugh, Dan Campbell, and Zac Taylor are just a few head coaches in the league who did not have any experience as an HC, OC, or DC in the NFL before their first season as an NFL head coach. All four of those coaches have been to a conference championship game.
On that note, here are four outside-the-box potential coaching candidates for the Jets to consider. Each of these coaches is not a former head coach or a current offensive/defensive coordinator.
Josh McCown, QB Coach, Minnesota Vikings
Josh McCown has done excellent work as Sam Darnold’s quarterbacks coach this season, helping his former Jets teammate put together a breakout season. Darnold ranks fourth in touchdown passes (21) and eighth in passer rating (101.7).
Throughout his playing career, McCown was frequently praised for his mentorship. In 2018, Darnold said the following of McCown in the weeks leading up to his NFL debut:
“Josh is the best for what he’s been able to do for me. … These past few months have been amazing. Words can’t really describe what he’s been able to do for me. Just going about this whole process, kind of teaching me not just about football things but also life things, showing me what it means to be a professional and all that kind of stuff. I think it’s hard to put into words but he’s been nothing but the best.”
McCown’s journeyman experience as a player (12 stints) could serve him well as he transitions into coaching. He has been a part of countless different cultures, schemes, and environments in the league, preparing him for whatever challenges might face him next.
McCown has displayed a fervent passion for coaching. While he was still playing for the Eagles in 2019, McCown was an assistant coach at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C., and he would fly down twice per week for practice and game day.
It is also worth noting that, as someone who played in the NFL as recently as 2020 and has been coaching high school football in recent years, McCown can relate to today’s NFL players in a unique way compared to most coaches.
McCown interviewed for the Houston Texans’ head coaching vacancies in 2021 and 2022, so he has already dipped his toes into these waters despite his limited coaching experience. He has familiarity with the interviewing process and could pitch himself well if given another chance.
In regards to the Jets, it does not hurt that McCown played two years with the team, including one season as the starting quarterback. He is familiar with the pressure of facing the New York media every day and being a prominent figure in the organization.
With 12 different NFL stints as a player and two stints as a coach (he was the Panthers’ QB coach in 2023), McCown has extensive ties across the league and could likely build a solid staff around him. Coming over from a Minnesota team playing tremendous defense this year, McCown could probably bring some impressive defensive assistants with him.
Most likely, McCown will have to step into an OC role before he is seriously considered as a head coach, but if he can coach, he can coach. He clearly has a passion for it and brings a unique resume to the table. I can see him landing an interview with a team that isn’t in the mix for the big-name candidates, and he could blow that team away.
Taylor Engstrand, Pass Game Coordinator, Detroit Lions
I tabbed Taylor Engstrand as the Jets’ new offensive coordinator in my mock offseason plan. But if he’s really got the chops… why he can’t he skip the OC stage and go straight to being a head coach like Zac Taylor did?
Engstrand is in his fifth season with the Lions, helping to spearhead their turnaround from 3-win team to one of the most unstoppable offensive juggernauts in recent NFL history. He has worked his way from offensive assistant (2020), to offensive quality control (2021), to pass game coordinator over the past three seasons (2022-24). He also doubled as a tight ends coach in 2022. It says a lot that Dan Campbell kept him on the staff when he arrived in 2021 and then promoted him one year later.
Compared to other coaches in the same position, Engstrand’s advantage is that he has extensive coordinator experience outside of the NFL. He was the offensive coordinator the XFL’s DC Defenders in 2020 and held the same role for seven seasons at the University of San Diego (FCS). Engstrand also doubled as San Diego’s assistant head coach in five of those seasons.
The non-NFL coordinator experience is something Engstrand shares in common with Zac Taylor, who served as an OC at the University of Cincinnati despite never holding the role in the NFL before the Bengals hired him. Even if the NFL and college football are two completely different animals, it helps when a coach at least knows what it’s like to be in charge of game-planning throughout the week and then calling those plays on game day.
If Ben Johnson leaves Detroit for a head coaching job, Engstrand seems like an obvious candidate to step up as Johnson’s in-house replacement for the OC role. But teams are going to be circling Ford Field like a pack of vultures this offseason, looking to pick off whatever parts they can from Dan Campbell’s winning machine. Engstrand landing a head coaching interview would not be shocking.
Brian Johnson, Assistant HC/Pass Game Coordinator, Washington Commanders
Unlike McCown and Engstrand, Brian Johnson has been an offensive coordinator in the NFL before, although he is not currently serving in that role.
Johnson is the assistant head coach and pass game coordinator for the Commanders, playing a key role in Washington’s resurgence this season. Johnson and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury have led the Commanders to fifth in points per game and fourth in pass offense DVOA. Jayden Daniels has enjoyed one of the most efficient seasons in history for a rookie quarterback.
Prior to joining the Commanders, Johnson spent the past three seasons in Philadelphia. He was the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach from 2021-22 before being promoted to their offensive coordinator role in 2023.
The 2023 season ended tumultuously for Philadelphia, resulting in Johnson’s firing after the season, but they still finished the season ranked seventh in points per game and 10th in offensive DVOA. However, those were drop-offs from the 2022 season, when the Eagles ranked third in both categories under Shane Steichen. The offense’s performance under Johnson was considered underwhelming relative to the team’s talent level.
Johnson’s work as the quarterbacks coach in Philly was far more impressive. Before Johnson arrived in Philly, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had a rough rookie season in 2020 (33.8 QBR, 77.6 passer rating, 52% completion rate). Johnson was brought in as the Eagles’ quarterback coach in 2021, and Hurts saw substantial leaps in back-to-back years under Johnson:
- 2020 (QB coach Press Taylor): 33.8 QBR, 77.6 passer rating, 52% completions
- 2021 (QB coach Brian Johnson): 54.6 QBR, 87.2 passer rating, 61.3% completions
- 2022 (QB coach Brian Johnson): 68.3 QBR, 101.5 passer rating, 66.5% completions
Johnson had an extensive coaching career at the college level before he joined Philadelphia. He was the Florida Gators’ quarterbacks coach from 2018-20 and doubled as their offensive coordinator in 2020, when he led them to 13th in the nation with 39.8 points per game.
Over his three years as Florida’s quarterbacks coach, Johnson oversaw the development of future NFL second-round pick Kyle Trask. The current Bucs quarterback came to Florida as a three-star recruit in 2016 and did not start a game until 2019, blossoming into one of the nation’s most prolific quarterbacks under Johnson.
Before coming to Florida, Johnson was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the University of Houston in 2017. Prior to that, he was the quarterbacks coach at Mississippi State from 2014-16, overseeing the emergence of Dak Prescott from a three-star recruit and middling college quarterback to an NFL-caliber prospect.
The quarterback position has been the Jets’ biggest issue for decades, and Johnson has a fantastic track record of developing talent at the position. He also offers experience as a productive offensive coordinator at both the NFL and college levels. If the Jets want a head coach who can solidify their QB position and overall offense for years to come, Johnson is very intriguing.
While Johnson’s track record on offense (specifically with quarterbacks) is excellent, it is unknown how much Johnson qualifies as an overall head coach. Nonetheless, it is appealing to nail down your offensive leader in the head coach spot, as it protects your team from having its lead offensive mind being poached in the future, which is the risk of hiring a defensive or neutral head coach.
Still, Johnson’s current status as the assistant head coach for a team that has undergone a complete cultural overhaul is an appealing endorsement of his potential as a head coach.
Johnson received head coach interviews with three teams in the 2024 cycle: Tennessee, Carolina, and Atlanta.
Jim Leonhard, Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/DB Coach, Denver Broncos
Joining McCown, we have another former Jets player who understands the pressures that come with the team and the New York market. Leonhard started 40 games at safety for the Jets from 2009-11.
Since retiring from the NFL, Leonhard has been building an impressive coaching resume on the defensive side of the ball. Just two years after he played his last NFL snap, Leonhard became the defensive backs coach at Wisconsin in 2016, and only one year later, he was promoted to Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator. From 2017-22, Leonhard doubled as Wisconsin’s DC and DBs coach.
Across Leonhard’s six-year run as Wisconsin’s DC, the Badgers allowed the fifth-fewest points per game among FBS teams (17.9).
Leonhard has some head coaching experience, as he was named Wisconsin’s interim head coach in 2022 following the firing of Paul Chryst. The Badgers went 4-3 in seven games under Leonhard.
In 2024, Leonhard entered the NFL coaching world as the defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Denver Broncos under head coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Behind Joseph and Leonhard, the Broncos rank sixth-best in pass defense DVOA and second-best in net yards per pass attempt allowed.
It would not be completely unprecedented for a DBs coach to make the jump to head coach. John Harbaugh’s bread-and-butter was special teams, but in his final season before he was hired by Baltimore, he was solely working as the Eagles’ defensive backs coach. Leonhard also doubles as the defensive pass game coordinator, and he offers past experience as a defensive coordinator and interim head coach at an upper-tier college program.
We know Woody Johnson has a nose for nostalgia. Leonhard was a core piece of the Jets’ last successful team. If he’s made enough waves in NFL circles for his role in Denver’s enormous defensive turnaround this season (along with his work at Wisconsin), he could certainly land an interview with his former team.
Jumping up to a DC role in the NFL seems more likely for Leonhard, but, again, the point of this article is to go outside of the box. As we discussed with guys like Harbaugh and Taylor, head coaches have been hired out of position coach roles before, so the possibility cannot be ruled out.
