5 best head coaches in the history of the New York Jets

The NY Jets have been a team that has seen wild fluctuations in terms of their ability to build a consistent winner. Moments of brief brilliance are often covered over by more of that classic Jets incompetence fans have become all too familiar with in the last few years.

When the Jets have been able to find success, they've been able to eschew the coaches who instill more confusion and find a strong leader who can take a plucky team deeper than anyone ever thought. There have only been a few of them in Jets history, but the results have been there when they nail it.

The Jets have been the spot for some standouts who have been able to push the Jets to a few of the most memorable wins in franchise history. These five coaches stand out as the best to have ever earned the privilege of coaching the Jets.

Criteria for selection

These coaches were chosen based on a combination of:

• Win-Loss record
• Impact on Success
• Longevity
• Memorable Moments

The top 5 best head coaches in NY Jets history

5. Herm Edwards

Edwards may not have had the greatest offensive mind, and that lack of creativity (coupled with Chad Pennington's injuries) was one of the main reasons he never broke through. Still, the Jets were a respectable playoff contender regularly during Edwards' tenure.

Edwards had a winning record three times in five seasons with the Jets, making the playoffs in all three of those seasons and winning games twice. Thanks to a very impressive defense and the exploits of Curtis Martin in his prime running the ball, Edwards carved out a respectable career with the Jets.

What sunk his ship was a commitment to offensive coordinator Paul Hackett (isn't that timely nowadays?) and Pennington's failure to stay healthy enough to sustain momentum. While his approach was outdated near the end, as Kansas City and Arizona State have proven, he was perfect for that era of Jets football.

4. Joe Walton

After helping Walt Michaels create two top-10 scoring offenses on the back of Richard Todd, Walton became head coach in 1983 and oversaw the Ken O'Brien era. Much like the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback he was paired with, Walton's career was respectable for the time.

Walton made the playoffs twice and had three winning seasons in seven years with the Jets. In the opposite way of Edwards, Walton was brought down by poor defenses failing to keep O'Brien in games. The one year he had a great defense was 1985, when O'Brien led the NFL in passer rating and the Jets won 11 games.

The Jets would eventually fall into a black hole in the 90s, with the Walton years serving as the last gasps of success. O'Brien and Freeman McNeil were a solid 1-2 punch in their own right, but Walton, who is second in Jets history in wins with 53, deserves credit. At least, before the ill-fated extension and terrible 1989 season ruined his mojo.

3. Bill Parcells

The only reason Parcells isn't higher on this list is his short three-year tenure. While he helped the Giants win two rings and led the Patriots to the Super Bowl, his most impressive reclamation projected, given where he started from, may have been with Gang Green.

Faced with the need to take a team coached by Rich Kotite and somehow turn them into a winner, Parcells took the Jets from 1-15 to 9-7 one year later. Behind Vinny Testaverde, Parcells took the Jets to a 12-4 record and the AFC Championship Game in 1998. Overall, his record in New York was 29-19.

His final season was a tough pill to swallow, as Testaverde tore his Achilles and the Jets rallied to 8-8 from a 1-6 start. Parcells retired, and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick...well let's say he chose an alternative career path instead of succeeding his mentor.

2. Rex Ryan

Many Jets fans still pine for the days of Rex leading the charge, and it's very easy to see why. Ryan talked a big game when he came over from the Ravens, and he managed to live up to the hype by making the Jets the most aggressive, physical team in the league during his first few seasons.

Not only did Ryan lead the Jets to consecutive AFC Championship Games in his first two seasons, but he did it with a young Mark Sanchez at quarterback while winning four road playoff games. His defenses were ranked near the top of the league, occasionally No. 1 in the NFL, quite often.

Ryan was an amazing defensive mind, but he very obviously was limited in the ins and outs of offensive football. From poor quarterback draft picks to horrid offensive coordinator hires, the Jets' lack of a passing game ultimately killed Ryan's mojo, forced a change in 2014, and sent him to Buffalo before his TV career.

1. Weeb Ewbank

Until someone else wins a championship and/or owns the franchise record for wins, Ewbank is in the top spot. After building an all-time team in the NFL with the Colts, Ewbank came to the AFL's Jets and made them a winner.

Joe Namath went from good to great under his watch, all while he installed a punishing running game behind an elite offensive line. Namath gets most of the glory from those years, but Ewbank was pulling the strings.

Ewbank may have a below .500 record, but that is due to a slow start and inauspicious end. He was able to turn them into a champion when he was in his prime, which makes him the best ever to do it for the Jets.