The New York Jets made official their coaching staff. I would say there really wasn’t much surprise. There was one big surprise though as quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh returned. The prevailing thought was that the Jets would go in a different direction. Cavanaugh returns for his fourth season as the quarterbacks coach. Mark Sanchez set career highs in passing yards(3,474) and touchdown passes(26) under him in 2011. Sanchez also became the fifth quarterback in the Super Bowl Era to win 30 games, including the postseason in his first three seasons. To be fair though I wouldn’t consider last year a successful year for Sanchez. He seemed to take a step backward although I don’t think it was all his fault. He didn’t get much help from the offensive line. I think this is a big year for him, he needs to take a leap forward and show the Jets he is their long term answer at quarterback.
The Jets also announced the hiring of defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, assistant strength and conditioning coaches Justus Galac and Paul Ricci and outside linebackers coach Mike Smith. Bob Sutton also was promoted to assistant head coach/linebackers and Lance Taylor has been promoted to assistant tight ends coach/quality control. Dunbar joins the Jets after spending the last six seasons with Vikings as their defensive line coach. The Vikings defense during his time allowed the fewest rushing yards(8,141) in the NFL and ranked sixth in sacks with 242. Galac comes to New York after seven seasons with Villanova where he served as their strength and conditioning coach and earned recognition as the Samson FCS strength and conditioning coach of the year in 2010. Ricci previously spent part of 2011 as the director of basketball performance for Texas Tech after serving in the same capacity at the University Of Maryland for three seasons.
It is somewhat interesting that Sutton has been elevated to an assistant head coach. It may just be a title but it still is interesting as to why Rex Ryan would need that. He talks a good game and likes to think he is a great coach. He shouldn’t need an assistant head coach if he is so great. The Jets though need to get last season behind them as quick as possible. They finished 8-8 and it got ugly afterwards as their was a lot of finger pointing. The Jets still have a good team and need to turn the page and move on. The Jets need to get better and show they weren’t just a flash in the pan team. They need to show they are for real and a team to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future.
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