Mike Tannenbaum leaves door open for NY Jets to hire Rex Ryan as HC

The NY Jets have enlisted the help of former general manager Mike Tannenbaum in their search for a new head coach and GM this offseason. Tannenbaum, along with fellow former NFL GM Rick Spielman, will be tasked with evaluating candidates and offering insights to help the organization make the right decision with its next regime.

One individual who hopes to be one of said candidates involved in the process is former Jets head coach Rex Ryan. Ryan has been very openly and publicly campaigning for the vacant Jets job over the last couple of months. He's made it clear that he believes he deserves an opportunity.

In a recent appearance on “The Michael Kay Show,” host Jake Asman asked Tannenbaum about the upcoming hiring process and if Ryan was a serious candidate for the position.

Tannenbaum did his best to dance around the question, but he notably left the door open for the possibility. In short, he didn't rule it out.

"Yeah, we’ll see how it goes. I think the world of Rex. He’s a great guy, he’s a friend. I think he does a great job on TV. I know he’s interviewed for other positions around the league, and we’ll see how the process goes in the coming weeks and months. Obviously, his success and resume speaks for itself, and it will be vetted and compared to the other candidates who could be coming in for a position."

Mike Tannenbaum

Mike Tannenbaum suggests Rex Ryan could be a real HC candidate for the NY Jets

The addition of Tannenbaum to the search committee has led some to believe that Ryan has a real chance to receive the job. Tannenbaum notably has plenty of history with Ryan and was the one to hire the former Baltimore Ravens assistant back in 2009.

Of course, Tannenbaum won't be the only decision-maker in this process, but his words will carry weight with Jets ownership. If there's anyone who knows how to deal with Woody Johnson, it's someone who spent over a decade working under him.

While there would be a sense of nostalgia in bringing back Ryan, he likely isn't at the forefront of most fans' wish lists. The current ESPN analyst hasn't coached at any level of football since he was fired by the Buffalo Bills nearly a decade ago.

It's easy to remember the good times with Rex in New York, but it's just as easy to forget how quickly things went south. Ryan failed to record a winning record in each of his last six seasons as a head coach in the NFL. The last year a Rex Ryan-coached team won more games than they lost was 2010.

The NFL had already passed Ryan by schematically and philosophically while he was still in the league a decade ago. Football is practically a different spot in the present day.

Nonetheless, Tannenbaum, Spielman, and the Jets are expected to leave no stone unturned in their search for a new regime this offseason. That search will include many of the top candidates on the open market, but it might just include a familiar face as well.

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