7 head coaches the NY Jets could've hired to replace Robert Saleh

The NY Jets will not be firing Robert Saleh. Jets owner Woody Johnson made that very clear in his public vote of support for both Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas last month.

Despite the Jets' disappointing 2023 season, the organization does not plan to make any notable coaching changes. That includes offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, any of the team's offensive assistant coaches, and, of course, Saleh himself.

Call it complacency, call it a mulligan — it really doesn't matter. The Jets have decided they won't be making any changes. But what if they did? What if, in some alternate reality, the Jets decided to fire Saleh this offseason?

Who could they feasibly hire to replace him? Here is a look at seven potential head coach candidates the Jets could've looked to hire if they fired Robert Saleh.

7. The NY Jets could've hired Dan Quinn

Dan Quinn has managed to rehabilitate his image and position himself as one of the hottest head coach candidates in the NFL as the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys over the last few years.

Quinn previously served as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-2020, leading the team to its second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. He's been interviewed dozens of times over the last few years, but it feels like 2024 could be the year he finally receives another opportunity.

Quinn has ties to the Jets, having served as the team's defensive line coach from 2007-2008. He also comes from a similar defensive background as Robert Saleh, meaning that the transition likely wouldn't have had a significant impact on the Jets' defensive scheme.

Some might scoff at the notion of going from one defensive-minded coach to another, but Quinn brings valuable experience as a winning head coach that Saleh just can't provide at this stage. He would've been a worthy hire.

6. The NY Jets could've hired Raheem Morris

Another top head coach candidate with a similar defensive background to Quinn is Raheem Morris. The current Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator has received rave reviews for his leadership style and defensive acumen in recent years.

He actually comes from the Dan Quinn coaching tree, having spent six years as an assistant coach under Quinn. What makes Morris appealing, aside from his experience as an NFL head coach, is that he's worked on both sides of the ball.

Morris has primarily been a defensive coach throughout his career, but he served as the Falcons' wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator under Quinn before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2020.

Morris is another member of that famed Washington coaching staff that learned under former head coach Mike Shanahan. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him finally receive another shot as a head coach this year.

5. The NY Jets could've hired Aaron Glenn

Aaron Glenn is a name that should be very familiar to Jets fans, as the former Pro Bowl cornerback spent the first eight years of his career playing in New York from 1994-2001.

Since retiring, Glenn has made waves in the coaching world, working his way up from defensive backs coach to one of the top defensive minds in the sport. It seems like only a matter of time before he receives his first head coach opportunity.

Glenn previously worked for the Jets as a personnel scout from 2012-2013, so he has experience with the organization aside from his playing career. It would be a storybook tale for him to return to his first NFL home as the team's next head coach.

It won't happen this year, however. Glenn will either return for a fourth season as the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator or be offered a head coach job elsewhere,

4. The NY Jets could've hired Mike Macdonald

Sticking with the defensive side of the ball, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald's stock has skyrocketed over the last couple of seasons.

Macdonald was one of the Ravens' top defensive assistants under former DC Wink Martindale, but when the opportunity came for him to join John Harbaugh's brother's coaching staff at Michigan in 2021, he didn't hesitate.

Macdonald re-joined the Ravens as their defensive coordinator in 2022 after Martindale left, and he's continued to work wonders with that Baltimore defense. He may only be 36 years old, but Macdonald is attracting a lot of attention this coaching cycle.

He did cross paths with Joe Douglas in Baltimore as well in 2014, and Douglas remains close with Ravens vice president of player personnel Ozzie Newsome to this day. The connection is there if the Jets ever want to explore it.

3. The NY Jets could've hired Ben Johnson

Every coaching cycle there seems to be one hot new offensive-minded coach that receives widespread attention from the coaching world. This year, that coach is Ben Johnson.

The Detroit Lions offensive coordinator has garnered a reputation as one of the brightest young offensive minds in the sport, given the work he's done with Jared Goff and the entire Lions offense.

Johnson has Goff playing the best football of his career, all while leading Detroit to a top-five offense in consecutive seasons. It would be a surprise if he didn't land a head coach job this winter.

The Jets could've taken the franchise in an entirely new direction with Johnson as their head coach in 2024. Instead, they're hoping Saleh and his staff can turn things around in the near future.

2. The NY Jets could've hired Mike Vrabel

The most recent addition to a star-studded coaching cycle is now-former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. Vrabel was surprisingly let go by the Titans on Tuesday, and he figures to be at the top of the list of head coaching hires this offseason.

The former NFL linebacker led the Titans to a winning record in each of his first four seasons as a head coach, helping the organization qualify for three consecutive postseasons for the first time since the Houston Oilers days of the early '90s.

The highlights were an AFC Championship Game appearance in 2019 and a 12-win season in 2021. Vrabel has consistently overachieved in Tennessee, which is what makes his departure all the more surprising.

The New England Patriots seem like an obvious landing spot for Vrabel, assuming they move on from Bill Belichick, but the Jets could've made an attempt to keep him away from their rivals if they were in the market for a new head coach.

1. The NY Jets could've hired Jim Harbaugh

Jim Harbaugh is a winner. I honestly hate to resort to such overused tropes to describe his success as a head coach, but there's really no better way to put it. Harbaugh simply wins wherever he goes.

He won at a mid-major college program in San Diego State. He transformed a lowly Stanford team into a 12-win powerhouse. He reached three straight NFC Championship Games in his first three years in the NFL. He won an NCAA National Championship coaching at his alma mater in Michigan.

Harbaugh may rub some people the wrong way. His coaching style and personality don't click with everyone, but there's no denying his success as a head coach at every level of this sport.

With Harbaugh seemingly bound for the NFL once again, some team is going to get their hands on a great head coach. That team might just have been the Jets if they moved on from Robert Saleh.