New York Jets coaching choices set up potentially interesting drama

The New York Jets have finalized the coaching staff that will work with head coach Adam Gase. There are some very curious decisions in the mix.

New York Jets head coach Adam Gase has completed his coaching staff that he will head into the 2019 season with. We’ve talked about the coordinators already, but now the staff is done. Normally I don’t have a lot to say about assistant coaches. This year is a little different.

All I can say is that I hope the Jets know what they are doing. A couple of the hires have the chance to be absolute disasters.

Let me start with a positive. Frank Pollack makes a lot of sense to coach the offensive line. The line has been very bad and Pollack has been doing this since 2007, including four with the Dallas Cowboys prior to working with the Bengals last year.

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The first of the two curious decisions I want to bring up is hiring Jim Bob Cooter as the running backs coach.

Now, I was very excited to get a guy named Jim Bob on the staff, but he really doesn’t have quite the resume for the position.

He was the offensive coordinator for the Lions from 2015-2018. Let’s see where the Lions’ running attack finished in those years:

2015: 32nd, 83.4 yards per game
2016: 30th, 81.9 yards per game
2017: 32nd, 76.3 yards per game
2018: 23rd, 103.8 yards per game

If the Jets are going to move forward on offense, the running game will have to be there as well.

Is that the resume of a running backs coach? It would be hard to argue any point of view other than an abject no. As cool as it is to have a name like that on the staff, the position he has been given seems to be a big mistake, at least on paper.

The second, even stranger choice was selecting Joe Vitt as a senior defensive assistant. There are a couple of problems here.

First of all, Vitt is Gase’s father in law. That in and of itself can be a problem. You know what they say about mixing business and family. It can create problems.

Add that to the fact that there is a report that Gase and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams have already had a problem, based on family. Williams wanted to hire his son and Gase initially didn’t want to do it. Being OK for one and not the other could cause even more tension.

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Finally, the biggest problem is the history between Vitt and Williams. Remember the “Bountygate” scandal? Well, coach Vitt testified against coach Williams.

Do we have to even discuss the problems that could cause? The tension in that room may very well be off the charts. They may have forgiven each other, but what if they haven’t?

Tension within the coaching staff will filter into the locker room with the players. That will handcuff Gase’s tenure as the coach before it starts.

Like I said earlier, hopefully they know what they are doing. I would be happy to be wrong about this.

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