JANUARY 17: Griese declined the Jets’ interview request, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. That makes him the first candidate to turn down the chance to meet with the team. New York has, of course, nevertheless compiled a long list of targets as the search process for a new full-time head coach continues.
JANUARY 6: The Jets have been free to interview coaching candidates not currently under contract to other teams. Now that the regular season is over, however, formal interview requests can be made to speak with staffers employed elsewhere. 
The Jets have been quite busy on that front, sending out requests to numerous staffers as they map out the next phase of their search process. New York has already interviewed former head coaches Ron Rivera and (after the expiration of his Browns consulting contract) Mike Vrabel. The same will also be true of former Jets coach Rex Ryan, who said on Monday he sees himself as the top candidate.
In addition to those three, a slew of coaches have received an interview request. That includes Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, as noted by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Slowik is in his second season leading Houston’s offense after he followed DeMeco Ryans from San Francisco. The Texans put up strong numbers during quarterback C.J. Stroud‘s rookie season, leading to head coaching interest in Slowik’s case. The 37-year-old’s unit regressed in 2024, but he has still landed at least one interview request this time around.
The Jets have also requested an interview with Arthur Smith, per Rapoport. That comes as little surprise given the interest New York showed in Smith this past offseason for a role on the team’s offensive staff. Smith instead took the Steelers’ OC gig, but a recent report noted he was likely to receive a look for head coach from the Jets. After three years at the helm of the Falcons (which consisted entirely of 7-10 seasons), Smith immediately moved on to his current role in Pittsburgh. He turned aside interest for North Carolina’s head coaching position, but it will be notable if he explores any HC vacancies at the NFL level this winter.
Another offensive staffer who has received an interview request is Joe Brady. Rapoport reports the Bills’ play-caller has received a slip from the Jets, one which could very well be followed by others shortly. Brady had a forgettable tenure under Matt Rhule with the Panthers, but he has been in Buffalo since 2022. The 35-year-old took over as interim OC midway through last season, and that move sparked improvement in the team’s run game in particular. Brady remained in place on a full-time basis for 2024, and he again guided Buffalo to a strong showing on offense.
Remaining on the offensive side of the ball, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports New York is interested in speaking with Matt Nagy. The former Bears head coach would meet the Jets’ desire to add an experienced leader on the sidelines, although Nagy’s Chicago tenure did not yield much in the way of success after 2018. Following his Chicago firing after the 2021 campaign, Nagy returned to the Chiefs to serve as their QBs coach. The 46-year-old was then promoted to offensive coordinator (in a non play-calling capacity) last offseason following Eric Bieniemy‘s departure. Nagy’s work in that role has put him on the HC radar, with the Saints also being a team believed to have interest.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Brian Griese has also received an interview request. The longtime quarterback had a stretch working as an ESPN analyst from 2009-22, but since then he has worked as a member of the 49ers’ coaching staff. This season marked his third as San Francisco’s quarterbacks coach, and as such Griese has played a large role in developing Brock Purdy into a candidate for the NFL’s next mega-extension at the position. Given his lack of coaching experience, a jump to HC would come as a surprise at this point, but Griese could receive some consideration from the Jets.
Vikings QBs coach Josh McCown is another staffer with an offensive background whom the Jets are looking into. Schefter reports the 45-year-old has received an interview request. McCown’s playing career ended in 2020, and it did not take long for him to transition to coaching. He coached the Panthers’ quarterbacks last season before taking on the same role with the Vikings for 2024. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has understandably received praise for Sam Darnold‘s strong play this year, but McCown’s role has no doubt helped his stock as well.
Having moved on from Robert Saleh midseason and struggled under interim HC (and former defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich), it would come as no surprise if an offensive staffer were to be targeted by the Jets. Not all candidates have that background, though. Schefter reports Vance Joseph has received an interview request, one which may well be followed by others this cycle. His work leading the Broncos’ defense (No. 7 in yards allowed, No. 3 in scoring) has not gone unnoticed, and a second head coaching opportunity could come about as a result. Joseph, 52, coached the Broncos in 2017 and ’18. 
Another popular candidate is Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports the Jets have submitted a request. Glenn has been in his current role since 2021, and after receiving confidence from head coach Dan Campbell in the wake of previous poor outings his unit has shown improvement this year. Despite dealing with several injuries, the Lions ranked seventh in scoring defense en route to the top seed in the NFC. Glenn has not worked as a head coach in the NFL before, but the 2025 cycle could present his first opportunity to do so.
Rounding out defensive candidates, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports Brian Flores is on the list of staffers New York wishes to speak with. His success as Vikings defensive coordinator has boosted his stock, and the former Dolphins coach made it clear earlier this season he would welcome another opportunity to lead a staff. Other suitors could be in play as well, and Flores’ interview process will be worth watching closely.
Other candidates will no doubt emerge soon, but for now the Jets have a long list of targets as they seek out Saleh’s long-term replacement. It will be interesting to see where Ulbrich fits into this equation; in any event, though, he figures to have considerable competition for the gig.
