WEDNESDAY, 5:05pm: The Jets (on Twitter) have made it official: Bowles is their new head coach.
TUESDAY, 10:36pm: Dolphins defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers is very likely to be Bowles’ defensive coordinator, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). It’s possible that Caldwell will also join the staff, but maybe in a different role.
10:20pm: Bowles’ choice for defensive coordinator might be linebackers coach Mike Caldwell, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
10:09pm: It’s a four-year deal worth at least $16MM, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). Gailey, he hears, will be hired as Bowles’ offensive coordinator.
9:23pm: The Jets have reached agreement with Todd Bowles to become their next head coach, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a four-year deal, Schefter adds (link).
Gang Green’s contingent of new GM Mike Maccagnan, owner Woody Johnson, and team consultants Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf met with Bowles earlier tonight in the New York area. The Cardinals defensive coordinator was slated to visit with the Falcons on Wednesday, but those plans have ostensibly been 86’d. The Jets were likely concerned about Atlanta beating them too the punch and made their offer quickly.
The new position marks a homecoming in more than one way for Bowles. The 51-year-old is a native of Elizabeth, New Jersey, a short drive from the Jets’ Meadowlands home. Bowles also has previous experience with the Jets, having served as their defensive backs coach in the 2000 season. The defensive-minded coach is a disciple of the legendary Bill Parcells, who served as the Jets’ coach from 1997-1999 as as their GM in 2000.
The Jets were impressed with, among other things, the staff ideas Bowles had, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (on Twitter). Former Bills coach Chan Gailey, who has been out of the game for some time, is a strong possibility to be the team’s next offensive coordinator.
Casserly’s fingerprints appear to be all over the Jets’ new hires. Maccagnan worked under Casserly as a scout while Bowles is one of his former players. The Jets coveted Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, but the uncertainty over whether they could land him combined with Bowles’ strong interviews led them to this hire, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Quinn can’t accept a job elsewhere until the conclusion of the Seahawks’ season, which might not be until February.
As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes, Bowles is now the Jets’ sixth straight head coach with a defensive background. Rex Ryan, Eric Mangini, Herm Edwards, Al Groh, and Parcells were all defense-first coaches.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
This is really going to help their offensive issues.