With a 3-12 record and his boss convening committees, it’s become obvious that this time next week, Rex Ryan will be looking for a job.
But he told reporters he still believed in his abilities as a head coach, and said he’s confident he’ll lift a Lombardi Trophy one day.
“Yeah, that’s right. Yep, I’ve won three games,” he said, via Darryl Slater of NJ.com. “And that’s one year. Sure, it hadn’t gone well. I’m sure of myself. I always am a confident person, not just because of my abilities.
“I was given some gifts. Obviously, a lot less in other areas, but I can coach football. And I know that. It’s more based on the people that I’m around and people that I know. I think that’s what gives me the belief that one day, I’m going to win that thing. That’s how I feel. That’s it. I guess that’s just the way I’m wired. I don’t look at myself as a three-win coach. I know I’m better than that. Yet this is where we’re at right now.
“I see myself winning it as a head coach. I definitely see it. If that happens, I guess we’ll find out down the road.”
He was tantalizingly close early in his run, with two straight AFC Championship Game appearances. But they haven’t made the playoffs in four straight seasons, so the confidence others had in him eroded.
Whether his next coaching job comes soon remains to be seen. He’d be great on television, and likely has offers in his pocket to do just that. If he chose, he could go back to being a defensive coordinator, and would be a hot property in that market as well.
In the interim, he needs to figure out how to find a quarterback and develop him, a task that falls on more than just the guy throwing passes. That inability kept him from fulfilling his goal with the Jets, and if he can solve it, he’ll have a chance some day with another team.