No Pressure, Though

The Jets have chosen their next head coach, former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. He may or may not be the right man for the job, but he's sure as hell got the right name for it.

The hire comes on the heels of Mike Maccagnan being named the Jets' new GM, and Bowles will reportedly seek to bring in Chan Gailey, last seen taking the Bills to three straight last-place finishes, to run the offense.

Bowles was said to have seriously impressed during his interview last Wednesday, and he must have, since by all accounts the Jets had their hearts set on Seahawks DC Dan Quinn. This article surmises that the Jets may have been scared off by the prospect of not being allowed to make Quinn an offer until the Seahawks' season ends, which may very well may not be for another few weeks (they reportedly had the plane fueled up and ready to go immediately had Seattle lost on Saturday). But the Jets wouldn't have been alone in waiting for Quinn— one report has him preferring the Falcons job anyway—so it's possible they hired Bowles now rather than run the risk of ending up with no one. (The counterpoint is that Quinn, the most talked-about name out there for a couple years running, finds himself with fewer suitors only because Seattle is so good.)

Still, it's nice to see a first-time head coach in a league that seems to thrive on retreads. And it figure to be a great time for back pages.

Photo by Albert Gattullo.