On Jan. 4, 2000, the New York Jets held an introductory press conference to formally announce Bill Belichick as their new head coach. Belichick, however, had other ideas.
Moments before he took the podium, Belichick infamously scribbled his intention to “resign as HC of the NYJ” on a sheet of loose-leaf paper and handed it to team officials. When he delivered the announcement to a room of stunned reporters, the immediate reaction was of bewilderment, confusion and anger. For the first time in NFL history, a press conference meant to formally introduce a new head coach had suddenly turned into a resignation announcement.
Woody Johnson was in the process of purchasing the Jets franchise from the Hess family, and Belichick cited uncertainty about the team’s ownership as a key factor in his decision. After being burned by ownership during his first head coaching stint, Belichick wasn’t willing to gamble his coaching career with inept ownership.
At the time, it was difficult to comprehend Belichick’s reasoning. Twenty-five years later, he seems prescient. There are seven teams with head coaching vacancies this offseason, and Belichick no longer seems to be the only coach that wants to avoid New York.
NFL coaches ranked the Jets head coach role as least-desirable opening
A survey conducted by The Athletic suggests that most coaches across the league would follow in Belichick’s footsteps and eschew any involvement with the Jets. Five assistant coaches, including two with head-coaching experience, ranked the Jets’ head coach vacancy as the least desirable of all seven head coach openings this offseason.
“Always in disarray,” a coach said about the Jets.
Although The Athletic’s scoring system averaged New York final rank into a tie for last place with the Las Vegas Raiders, the Jets received the most last-place votes. The Jets’ coaching job was ranked as the least desirable opening by three coaches and the second-least desirable opening by one coach. In comparison, the Raiders received two last-place votes and three sixth-place votes.
Although New York possesses more talent than Las Vegas, Johnson’s overbearing leadership and baffling decision-making process has hamstrung the team for decades. Equipped with a future Hall of Fame quarterback and young stars across the roster, New York was expected to compete for a Super Bowl championship this season. Instead, they finished the 2024 season with just four wins.
The Jets missed the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season, extending the longest active playoff drought among all four major North American professional sports leagues.
Under Johnson’s leadership, the Jets have become one of the most dysfunctional professional sports teams in the country. New York has hired eight head coaches since Belichick’s resignation. On average, each head coach was fired after approximately three years. The ninth head coach to join the downtrodden franchise will likely suffer the same fate.