Rex Ryan Had Really Cocky Reason for Thinking He’s Going to Get Jets’ HC Job

The former Jets coach seemed remarkably confident that he was going to get his old job back.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JULY 26: Former NFL coach & ESPN analyst Rex Ryan of 'ESPN's Sunday's NFL Countdown' speaks onstage during the ESPN portion of the 2017 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 26, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. / Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

After a nightmarish 2024 season, the New York Jets are trying their best to avoid more embarrassment. That means ignoring viral rumors of Mike Vrabel using them to get to the New England Patriots and instead focusing on interviewing candidates for their current head coaching vacancy. 

One of those candidates is former Jets coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan, who recently made a chest-puffing case for himself to take the reins from interim Jeff Ulbrich as the new leader of the franchise in 2025. 

On Monday, Ryan was asked on ESPN New York whether he thought he would become the next head coach of the Jets.

“100 percent, absolutely I do,” Ryan said. “And the reason I think I’m going to get it is because I’m the best guy and it ain’t close.”

“The thing you have to do, you have to connect with your football team, you have to connect with your fan base,” continued Ryan. “The way they play, that’s the most important thing. Not just the Xs and Os and all that. Look, this Ben Johnson, I love him. I absolutely love him. But I’m a better candidate for this job than he would be.”

Rex Ryan will interview with the #Jets tomorrow, and he loves his odds of getting the job.@HDumpty39 | @RothenbergESPN

LISTEN: https://t.co/jLsa28DGEc. pic.twitter.com/WcGl1oXsDS

— DiPietro & Rothenberg (@DRonESPN) January 6, 2025

Ryan, 62, is scheduled to interview with the Jets on Tuesday in hopes for a sweet reunion. Ryan went 46-50 with the team from 2009 to ‘14, helping lead the Jets to the AFC title game in back-to-back seasons during his first two years at the helm.

That pair of postseason successes aside, Ryan’s overall record doesn’t paint him as a winning coach in the NFL, and the Jets may be better off giving someone else a fresh start rather than giving Ryan a second chance.

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