The saga continues. On Friday, the New York Jets are interviewing three more head coach candidates: Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, and Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, Woody Johnson and the Jets are conducting virtual interviews with the impressive trio.
Flores, 43, is considered one of the frontrunners for the job. Not only does he have head coaching experience—owning a 24-25 record in three seasons with the Miami Dolphins (2019-2021)—but his personality seems to line up with what this current Jets roster needs most.
Flores’s take-no-prisoners and accountability characters have endeared his candidacy to Jets fans this offseason. Plus, despite a rough playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams, Flores did a tremendous job with the Vikings’ defense in 2024. Minnesota’s defense finished fifth in the NFL by giving up just 19.5 points per game.
The fact that he’s a Brooklyn, NY-born coach, and he may (or may not) hold a grudge against a couple of AFC East teams drives his popularity among Jets fans even further.
Another local boy belongs to this group as well. Jeff Hafley, 45, hails from Montvale, NJ, having attended Pascack Hills and Siena College.
After winning 22 games and losing 26 as Boston College’s head coach, Matt LaFleur tabbed Hafley as his team’s defense coordinator last offseason. Hafley bounced around the NFL as a defensive backs coach from 2012 to 2018 before heading back to the collegiate ranks (as co-defensive coordinator for Ohio State).
His grand return to the NFL turned out to be promising. His Packers defense finished sixth in total defense (315.6 yards against per game) and sixth in points allowed (19.9 per game).
Rounding out the trio is a name Jets fans are extremely familiar with in Josh McCown.
McCown, 45, is a hot name among league circles right now and has been for some time. The current Vikings quarterbacks coach did a tremendous job with Sam Darnold in 2024, and it’s all but certain that he’ll become an NFL head coach at some point.
McCown played two seasons with the Jets in the twilight of his career (2017-2018).
