Following a late season slump which saw the team score no touchdowns in their final 12 quarters, the New York Jets have parted ways with several offensive coaches. The list includes offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, quarterbacks coach Rob Calabrese, and offensive line coach John Benton. Wide receivers coach Miles Austin was suspended by the league for violating gambling policy, so the Jets will also search for his replacement. Before I tell you which coaches the New York Jets should hire to fix this offense, let’s look at what led Jets management to part ways with these offensive coaches.
A Broken Offense
The primary task for the new offensive coaches hired by the New York Jets will be to fix this offense. For another season, the Jets had a revolving door of quarterbacks. Perhaps the biggest project this coaching staff had – particularly LaFleur and Calabrese – was developing Zach Wilson. Their failure to develop the young quarterback proved to be part of their demise. The Jets also need to revive the running game. Prior to Week 14, the Jets were averaging 115.1 yards per game on the ground. Teams figured out from the two New England games that if you stop the run, you make the Jets’ quarterbacks beat you. From Week 14 onward, the Jets only averaged 60.8 yards per game on the ground. The result was five consecutive losses.
Who the Jets Should Hire Next
With the New York Jets parting ways with several offensive assistants, there is a lot of chatter among fans as to who should fill their roles. There are a lot of names circulating and fans have increased the chatter regarding their picks. Here I have my choices for offensive coaches who the New York Jets need at least have on their radar. Note: this doesn’t mean the Jets will sign them. But at this point of his ownership tenure, Woody Johnson wants to win at ANY cost. (Also, don’t believe Woody when he says there’s no playoff mandate for next season.)
Frank Reich
Reich and general manager Joe Douglas’ relationship goes back to their days in Philadelphia. Reich was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator during their 2017 championship season and Douglas was Vice President of player personnel. He helped design an offense which finished seventh in the league with 365.8 yards per game. If Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh’s fate is tied to Wilson, they need to bring in someone who can build a tailor-made system. If not for Wilson, then whoever the Jets bring in next season. Reich speaks the quarterback’s language and has the knowledge the Jets need to develop the former second-overall pick.
Jim Caldwell
Caldwell is a long-time football coach who knows a thing or two about offense. His first NFL job came in 2001 when he was named quarterbacks coach under Tony Dungy at Tampa Bay. Caldwell followed Dungy from Tampa Bay to Indianapolis, where he mentored Peyton Manning. He’s mentored some big names in his various stops in the NFL and has won two Super Bowls (Indianapolis in 2006 and Baltimore in 2012). Caldwell was also head coach in Detroit and helped mentor Matt Stafford. His last job was assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach under Adam Gase in Miami in 2019. While Caldwell has been floated as a head coach, why shouldn’t the Jets make an offer to Caldwell to develop Wilson? Or maybe he can serve as a mentor to Saleh as an assistant head coach? Over 40 years as a coach in football go a long way.
Pep Hamilton
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Hamilton has served as a coach in one capacity or another since 2003. He has some familiarity with the Jets as his first NFL job was as a quality controls coach in 2003. Hamilton also served for the Jets as quarterbacks coach in 2004 and wide receivers coach in 2005. He’s been a traveling coach since then, serving in the NFL and NCAA, including at Stanford. Hamilton served as quarterbacks coach with the Cardinal, where he coached Andrew Luck. (He was Luck’s quarterback coach in Indianapolis as well.) Hamilton was also head coach of the XFL 2.0’s DC Defenders in 2020. His last coaching job was this season with Houston, serving as Lovie Smith’s offensive coordinator. Another former quarterback, Hamilton also speaks the position’s language and can help develop Wilson.
Mike Munchak
Munchak is a former NFL offensive lineman who played for 11 seasons with the Houston Oilers. Upon retirement in 1993, he became an offensive assistant. He remained with the Oilers/Tennessee Titans organization, even becoming head coach from 2011 through 2013. After his dismissal as Titans head coach, Munchak joined Pittsburgh as their offensive line coach and helped develop one of the best pass offensive lines in the NFL. The Steelers surrendered only 115 sacks in five seasons, an average of 23 per season. Munchak moved on to Denver in 2019 and was dismissed after the 2021 season when the Broncos fired Vic Fangio. If there’s one opportunity to build a offensive line on a potential playoff team, it’s this one.
