Rex Ryan is as good as doomed as Jets‘ head coach as far as the New York media is concerned, and reports of his tenure ending have been numerous during the team’s 2-10 start to the season.
The Jets might already have their focus elsewhere in their coaching search, but Ryan will not have a hard time finding new employment himself. If the Falcons head coaching position becomes available, Ryan could find a perfect landing spot in Atlanta, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
First of all, this would be contingent on Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank deciding to fire head coach Mike Smith at the end of the season. The team has been tremendously disappointing at 5-7, but could still win the NFC South. It is uncertain of whether that would save his job, and Mehta writes that it wouldn’t, but the general mood surrounding Smith is that the team and fan base is unhappy with the job he has done this season.
Falcons’ general manager Thomas Dimitroff actually interviewed Ryan for the job back in 2008 before eventually hiring Smith. Mehta writes that sources say Ryan was the leading candidate prior to Dimitroff being hired as general manager.
“Arthur wants a tougher team,” according to one of Mehta’s sources. “He wants guys that have an edge to them.”
Ryan could have a myriad of options, and Mehta believes that Dolphins‘ owner Stephen Ross loves Ryan, and could consider making a change should the Dolphins miss the playoffs again this year (via Twitter).
Mehta writes that Ryan would consider any head coaching vacancies, but would elect to take a big money TV deal over becoming a defensive coordinator (via Twitter).
A poll here on Pro Football Rumors from October 18th asked our readers where Ryan would be employed in 2015. The Falcons and Dolphins head coaching jobs received about 9% and 4%. Of course, the readers gave Ryan a 13% chance of staying with the Jets, which would be an unlikely number if the vote was taken again today. Still, almost 39% of the votes went to Ryan being on television in 2015, and according to Mehta, that seems like a real possibility.