NY Jets bringing back Brant Boyer as special teams coordinator

The NY Jets will have a new coaching staff in 2021 led by new head coach Robert Saleh. But at least one coach will be returning from the previous regime in special teams coordinator Brant Boyer.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Monday that the Jets have decided to retain Boyer who has been the team’s special teams coordinator since 2016.

Saleh spoke very highly of Boyer at his introductory press conference and said that he had fielded various calls on him. He seemed to indicate that the longtime Jets assistant could possibly return and that’s exactly what will happen.

Boyer has been with the Jets since the 2016 season making him the longest-tenured coach on the team. Former head coach Todd Bowles initially brought in the well-traveled Bobby April to serve as his special-teams coordinator back in 2015.

But following a disappointing season from the special teams unit, Bowles fired April after just one year and replaced him with Boyer. Boyer spent 10 years in the NFL as a linebacker with the majority of his time coming with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

He received his first NFL coaching job in 2012 as the assistant special teams coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts before the Jets hired him in 2016.

While the Jets’ special teams saw a dip in 2020, Boyer has garnered a reputation for getting the most out of his unit over the past few years. The likes of Jason Myers and Andre Roberts notably had career years under Boyer’s watch.

The NY Jets will be retaining Brant Boyer yet again

This will mark the third coaching staff that Boyer has been a part of with the Jets as he previously served under both Bowles and Adam Gase.

Saleh mentioned the possibility of bringing back defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Dennard Wilson as well. Wilson has been with the organization since 2017 and received a promotion to passing game coordinator once Gase was hired.

Offensive assistants Todd Washington and defensive assistants Mack Brown and Chip Vaughn are three other holdovers from the Gase era that will return under Saleh in 2021. It’s unclear if Wilson or any others will join them.

With the coaching staff continuing to take shape, the Jets now have all three coordinators in place as Boyer joins the likes of Mike LaFleur and Jeff Ulbrich.

While the majority of the coaching staff will be overhauled, the Jets are at least retaining some semblance of continuity by bringing Boyer back.