THE latest version of the future of the Jets franchise will begin to take shape today when Woody Johnson, the team owner, and Bill Parcells, the team’s . . . well, we’re exactly not sure what he is at the moment, meet somewhere between Weeb Ewbank Hall and Manhattan.
This meeting should be a prelude to someone from the Jets coming out of hiding to comment publicly about this latest mess the franchise finds itself in and what direction will be taken.
Everyone in the team’s offices was away for the holiday weekend when Al Groh suddenly resigned on Saturday, and the club has put off making any comment until today.
Whether that comes in the form of a press conference or yet another prepared, canned statement is unknown. Expect the latter for the moment, though.
As of yesterday, a team spokesperson sounded as confused as a jilted Jets fan about what procedure will be taken, not knowing whether there’ll be a press conference or a statement or who’ll be conducting either.
Johnson, who’s got to be smarting about spending $635 million for a high-profile franchise that can’t find anyone who wants to coach it, is expected to speak to Parcells first about what he wants to do with his future.
Parcells’ current contract expires on Jan. 31, and what he does must be figured out before any other pertinent business – such as who’ll coach the team – can be addressed.
In Johnson’s perfect world, which hasn’t once been perfect since he bought the team from the Hess estate, Parcells would return to the sidelines.
Johnson wants that. Jet fans everywhere want that. And the Jet players would welcome it.
Problem is, Parcells has been too adamant about telling too many people inside and out of the organization that he won’t coach again.
So Johnson must enter today’s meeting expecting that not to change and thinking about the next step.
The next step is Johnson offering the team presidency to Parcells, which has already been discussed to some degree. Then Parcells and Johnson can begin a coach search.
Whatever Johnson and Parcells decide today, they should come to some conclusions and make some decisions swiftly, because, as usual, the Jets’ organization is the laughingstock of the league with these latest developments.
And the sooner the team’s hierarchy – whomever that might consist of – makes some moves to stabilize the ship, the less embarrassment the team will absorb.
Maurice Carthon, one of the legitimate candidates to take over for Groh, has been out of town, unavailable for comment.
According to more than one source familiar with the situation, Parcells has not yet spoken to Carthon since Groh resigned. Carthon is expected to be back in the office today.
Judging by the widespread comments from the Jet players in recent days, Carthon is clearly the popular choice from inside or outside the organization.
If the Jets go outside the organization, the process will almost certainly drag on through the month, because it would likely mean many of the current Groh assistants, all of whom are under contract, would be let go so the new coach could pick his own staff.
Among the outside candidates Parcells and/or Johnson could be looking at could include recently-fired Redskins coach Norv Turner, Miami offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, former Carolina head coach Dom Capers, former Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer (though compensation would have to be paid to the Chiefs), Baltimore defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis and even Giants defensive coordinator John Fox and their offensive coordinator Sean Payton.
The list of possibilities is long. Hiring any one of them would be complicated for two major reasons: 1) Because it would mean a complete start over for a veteran team, and, 2) none of the above-mentioned is a Parcells disciple.
That’s why the most logical signs point toward Carthon, a highly-respected member of the assistant coaching staff and a former Parcells player whom Parcells himself has been grooming to be a head coach.
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IN AN intriguing development, there have been some rumblings out of the Jets’ offices in the last 24 hours that suggest that Groh’s departure didn’t take everyone in the organization by such shock.
A well-placed team source said yesterday that he believes some people in the organization, including Parcells, some assistant coaches and even some players, had hints of this as rumors came out of Virginia about the Cavaliers’ interest in Groh.
Considering some of the moves and announcements that were made the day after the season was over, that makes some sense.
The re-signings of linebackers Bryan Cox and Mo Lewis were highly curious considering how each player felt about Groh. Neither has been a big fan of Groh’s.
Perhaps each player had already caught some wind of Groh’s impending departure.
Another curious case was that of nose tackle Jason Ferguson, who after a season of suppressing his frustration about playing for Groh, publicly lashed out at him the day after the season.
Maybe Ferguson, whose agent, Jim Sexton, is also Parcells’ representative, knew more than he was letting on.