Former Jets coach Rex Ryan was vocal this offseason about his interest in returning to Florham Park and filling the team’s then-open head coaching position.
But, of course, the job ultimately went to Aaron Glenn.
Former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum, who overlapped with Ryan in New York for a few years, helped the team with their head coach hunt this offseason. Speaking on ESPN Radio last week, he recalled telling Ryan that he would not be getting the job.
“He understood,” Tannenbaum said. “We’re friends. He had an at-bat, a meaningful one, and obviously it didn’t go his way. He has a lot of great gifts, and if he wants to coach, hopefully that’l work out for him sooner rather than later.”
Ryan, 61, was Jets head coach from 2009 to 2014 and brought the team to consecutive AFC Championship Games in his first two years. He last worked in the NFL in 2016 as head coach of the Buffalo Bills. He served as defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens from 2005 to 2008 and helped them win Super Bowl XXXV, 34-7, over the New York Giants. In 2017, he joined ESPN as an analyst.
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Bridget Hyland may be reached at bhyland@njadvancemedia.com.