The Atlanta Falcons, owned by Jewish businessman Arthur Blank, are considering a very unlikely candidate for their next head coach: former NY Jets head coach Rex Ryan who was just fired by that team after a dismal 4-12 season.
Blank just fired the Falcons’ last head coach Michael Smith after a bleak 6-10 season.
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NBC Sports reported, “don’t be shocked if Ryan becomes the head coach in Atlanta not long after he talks to the Falcons. The Falcons should want Ryan, given what he can do with a defense that desperately needs a kick in the butt. Ryan should also want the Falcons, since they have a have a franchise quarterback and a pair of guys who helped Bill Belichick put together a team that won three Super Bowls in New England.”
A franchise quarterback is something that Ryan lacked in New York. He was stuck with Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith as well as an over the hill Michael Vick.
It is not so surprising that Ryan is so quickly being offered a second chance after such a terrible year. Pretty much all of the sports pundits agree that he is a great coach who made a terrible team at least respectable with an 8-8 record in 2013. He took it twice to AFC Championship games, also with weak squads and a mediocre quarterback.
The Jets are also seen to suffer from a dysfunctional ownership which is scaring away the top prospects to fill its open positions of general manager and head coach.
Ryan is fully expected to be a head coach again, but many thought that first he would work as an assistant coach or coordinator with a team for a while.
The Falcons have also interviewed Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. They will next interview Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and former Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone.
The NFL has a rule that requires a team to allow any coach lower than head coach out of a contract if he is offered the head coaching position by another team.
