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Report: Jets Continue to Bolster Defensive Coaching Staff Under Robert Saleh With Three New Hires

New York is reportedly hiring three veterans, with experience working with Robert Saleh, to help coach the Jets' secondary.

Max Goodman

The Jets' coaching staff under Robert Saleh continues to grow as three more experienced defensive coaches have reportedly been hired. 

Marquand Manuel will be New York's new safeties coach and Tony Oden will become the Jets' senior defensive assistant and cornerbacks coach, per the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Further, Mike Rutenberg will be Saleh's linebackers coach, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 

Both Manuel, Oden and Rutenberg have worked with Saleh in the past. Oden served as the 49ers defensive backs coach last season while Saleh was San Francisco's defensive coordinator. Similarly, Rutenberg was a passing game specialist for the 49ers a year ago. Manuel worked with Saleh almost a decade ago in Seattle when both were defensive assistants on the Seahawks' staff.

You may recognize Manuel's name from his time as the Falcons' defensive coordinator (from 2017-18). He had been the Falcons' secondary coach for a pair of years before working as Atlanta's defensive coordinator. Manuel held the same role, working with the defensive backs with the Philadelphia Eagles, this past season. 

Not only have Manuel and Rutenberg worked with Saleh before, but he's familiar with New York's new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as well. Ulbrich was the Falcons linebackers coach from 2015 to 2019, crossing over with Manuel for four seasons. 

Both Manuel and Oden will have a young core of defensive backs to work with in New York. Ashtyn Davis and Bryce Hall, both members of the Jets' 2020 draft class, compiled some invaluable experience this past season. Safety Marcus Maye blossomed into the leader of the secondary in 2020 and the Jets are working to bring him back in free agency. Perhaps these moves to bring on more quality coaches (with Saleh as head coach) will be even more of an impetus for Maye, 27, to stick around. 

Not long ago, the Jets made a slew of coaching hires official. The team announced 14 different coaches and assistants had been brought on under Saleh, including five on the defensive side of the ball. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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