Counting Down the 5 Greatest Coaches in New York Jets History

After a tough 2024 season that saw the New York Jets finish 5-12, the Jets front office went looking for a new head coach. In January, it found one, hiring former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to lead the team.

Glenn comes to Gang Green having played with the Jets for eight seasons and worked for the franchise as a scout. While it’s too early to add his name to the list of the Jets’ all-time greatest coaches, the occasion of his hiring is a good time to look back on a group that he may join one day.

5. Joe Walton

This former player became the Jets head coach after serving as an offensive coordinator under Walt Michaels. During his two seasons leading the offense, New York ranked in the top 10 in the league in scoring.

Walton’s success earned him the top job in 1983. After a 7-9 season, the Jets selected quarterback Ken O’Brien in the 1983 draft. Together, O’Brien and Walton—along with running back Freeman McNeil—combined to create an explosive offense, one that carried Gang Green to the playoffs in 1985 and 1986. Unfortunately, with the exception of the 1985 season, Walton’s teams repeatedly lacked a capable defense, and he claimed only one playoff victory over his tenure.

Walton’s 53 regular-season wins over the course of seven years in New York are the second most in franchise history. While his teams failed to reach the heights hoped for by fans, he deserves credit for presiding over a respectable era in Jets history.

4. Herm Edwards

Herm Edwards’ five seasons in New York saw him make the playoffs three times. He first playoff victory came in 2002, when the Jets romped the Indianapolis Colts in the wild-card round.

The 41-0 win was the culmination of a season in which Edwards delivered his memorable “You play to win the game” speech. Coming at a time when the Jets had fallen to 2-5, the speech may have played a part in sparking a team that went 7-2 over the remainder of the regular season and won a division title.

Edwards’ other postseason appearances came in 2001 and 2004, the latter of which saw him claim his only other playoff victory. A fiery presence on the sidelines, he oversaw saw a strong defense during his tenure, but repeated injuries to quarterback Chad Pennington, as well as Edwards’ questionable allegiance to offense coordinator Paul Hackett, prevented the offense from keeping pace. Still, three postseason appearances in five seasons is no small feat, and Edwards was integral to those results.

3. Rex Ryan

Rex Ryan came from the Baltimore Ravens loudly and confidently promising big results. He backed up his brashness over his first two seasons, leading the Jets to 9-7 and 11-5 records, good enough for a pair of wild card spots. After winning two road games to advance to the 2009 conference championship, the Ryan-led Jets made another run to the conference championship in 2010, beating the rival New England Patriots along the way in what is probably the signature win of Ryan’s tenure.

One of the best defensive minds in NFL history, Ryan unsurprisingly built one of the best defenses in the league in New York. Unfortunately, he lacked much in the way of offensive aptitude, and with the exception of his first two seasons, he was unable to put together a capable offense. His teams suffered as a result, going 26-38 in his final four years as the head coach.

Jets fans still look back fondly on his first two seasons, however. Ryan deserves a spot on this list for advancing to consecutive conference championship games and having the most playoff wins in franchise history.

2. Bill Parcells

Widely considered the best coach in franchise history, Bill Parcells comes in at only No. 2 here because of his limited time with the Jets. It’s testament to his Hall of Fame coaching prowess that he ranks this high despite only spending three years at the helm of Gang Green.

In his first season with the Jets, Parcells executed a dramatic turnaround, taking a team that had gone 1-15 the year before and leading it to a 9-7 record. The following year, with the help of quarterback Vinny Testaverde, Parcells guided New York to a franchise-best 12-4 record and a trip to the conference championship.

After falling there to the eventual Super Bowl–winning Denver Broncos, expectations were high coming into the 1999 season. Unfortunately, Testaverde tore his Achilles in the regular-season opener. Without him, the Jets could only manage an 8-8 record. Parcells stepped down after the season, finishing his Jets tenure with a 29-19 record and the highest winning percentage of any coach in franchise history.

1. Weeb Ewbank

The rationale for Weeb Ewbank siting at the top of this list is simple: he coached the Jets to their first and, to this point, only Super Bowl. Until someone else repeats that feat, or until his record for most franchise wins falls, he’s unlikely to relinquish the top spot.

Ewbank was already a winning coach prior to coming to New York, having won the 1958 and 1959 NFL titles as head coach of the Colts. After moving to the AFL to coach the Jets, he slowly but surely built the team into a contender.

The culmination of this work was the 1968 season. Backed by quarterback Joe Namath, who improved mightily under his watch, as well as an elite running game and offensive line that he had constructed, Ewbank led the team to an 11-3 record. The Jets then took down the Raiders to win the AFL Championship and advance to the Super Bowl. Despite being a major underdog against the Colts, the Jets beat Ewbank’s old team in what remains the sweetest victory in franchise history.