Latest NY Jets head coach interview might be their most embarrassing yet

The NY Jets have scoured the earth in search of their next head coach, putting in requests for interviews with a whopping 16 different candidates so far. With such an extensive list, there are bound to be some underwhelming candidates.

After all, this is the same team that has interviewed the likes of Rex Ryan and Ron Rivera. This is the same team that brought in New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi for an interview. The Jets' list of candidates hasn't exactly been exciting from top to bottom.

But the candidate the Jets brought in for an interview on Friday might just be the team's most questionable and downright shocking to date: Maryland head coach Mike Locksley.

Locksley's name was not expected to be on the radar for NFL teams this offseason, especially not for a head coach job. The Jets are expected to be the only team to bring in Locksley for an interview, and that shouldn't come as a surprise.

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Why are the NY Jets interviewing Maryland head coach Mike Locksley?

Locksley's track record is not typically that of someone who would garner NFL interest. He has a career 35-67 record as a head coach at the collegiate level and is fresh off a 4-8 season with Maryland in 2024.

The former Alabama assistant — his highest-profile role to date — previously served as the head coach at New Mexico between 2009 and 2011, where he posted a dismal 2-26 record. While the program faced significant sanctions during his tenure, two wins over three seasons is difficult to excuse under any circumstances.

Locksley has been Maryland's head coach since 2019 and has yet to win more than eight games in a season. Perhaps his only saving grace is that he has gone 3-0 in bowl games, although he's coming off his worst season since his first year with the school.

The most impressive part of Locksley's resume is that he was Alabama's offensive coordinator for one year in 2018. The Washington D.C. native received the Broyles Award, given to the nation's top assistant coach, primarily for his work with Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Still, one good season as a coordinator six years ago doesn't justify NFL interest in the year 2025. Locksley has only interviewed with one NFL team prior to this, meeting with the Miami Dolphins a few years ago. That interview was likely prompted by his connection to Miami's quarterback.

Perhaps the Jets are simply bringing in Locksley to get a closer look at him as a potential offensive coordinator option, but even that doesn't inspire much confidence. Maryland ranked 100th in the FBS in scoring and 102nd in yards per play this past season.

Ultimately, the Jets likely aren't going to hire Locksley, so it's not worth getting worked up about. The Jets may be interviewing half of the coaching world, but it's not a bad thing to cast a wide net and gain as much information as possible.

It would be nice if the candidates they brought in were actually on the radar of other NFL teams, however. Alas, Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman seem to have other plans.

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