When the second week of the Jets coaching search kicked off on Monday, we complimented the Jets for the thoroughness with which the team was sifting through the candidates. At the end, though, there was a brief admonition about the placement of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer among the front-runners for the job.
It sounded like leaks coming from people who stood to lose their jobs if Schottenheimer didn't ascend to the head coaching job, but we didn't assume that group included G.M. Mike Tannenbaum. It would stand to reason that the best coach would best serve the job future of a guy charged with hiring him, but it also stood to reason that a GM and assistant who had their fingerprints all over the team's collapse would be affected by Eric Mangini's firing.
Following that strand is Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. He cites the way Tannenbaum deftly sidestepped the body of his "close personal friend" Mangini and the way that he's quietly but consistently consolidated power as reasons not to trust that the G.M.'s motives are pure.
So when your team continues to struggle, Jets fans, you’ll understand why. The current search for a head coach isn’t necessarily about finding the best person to lead to team to a trophy the franchise hasn’t touched in 40 years and counting. The primary goal could be to ensure that the next coach won’t threaten the reign of a general manager with no discernable football skills, qualifications, or experience.
Schottenheimer fits the bill, especially after a curious leak that followed the team's interview with Steve Spagnuolo. Spagnuolo didn't "blow the Jets away," according to an article in the Newark Star-Ledger. That analysis couldn't have come from anyone outside the Jets executive suite, and that's problematic since it's being used to buoy Schottenheimer's candidacy. Perhaps his interview was just that good, but the results simply don't back up Schottenheimer's rise to greater power.
Ultimately, this isn't about Tannenbaum, Schottenheimer or anyone but owner Woody Johnson. It's his choice about who gets to become the team's next head coach, and it's his choice about who gets held accountable for wins and losses. Taking full control of the former would be a good start on the latter.
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