The New York Jets have one game left to play this season but the franchise is also making plans for its future.
The team announced Thursday it interviewed former Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera for its head-coaching job. The Jets also said Thursday they interviewed ESPN analyst Louis Riddick for their general manager role.
Rivera, 62, has a 102-103-2 record as an NFL head coach, most recently with the Commanders, where he went 26-40-1 over four seasons. The Commanders fired Rivera last January after a 4-13 season and their fourth straight campaign without a winning record under him.
He had a longer tenure, and more success, in Carolina, where he was twice named the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year (2013 and 2015). In 2015, he led Carolina to a 15-1 mark, their third straight NFC South title, an NFC championship and an appearance in Super Bowl 50, where the Panthers lost to the Denver Broncos. Carolina fired Rivera in 2019 after a 5-7 start that season. He departed the team with a 76-63-1 record after nine years at the helm.
Rivera played for nine seasons as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears from 1984 to 1992, winning a Super Bowl with the team in 1985, before his coaching career.
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Riddick, 55, joined ESPN in 2013 after working in the front office for Washington and the Philadelphia Eagles. A former NFL defensive back in the 1990s, Riddick began his executive career as a pro scout and then director of pro personnel with Washington from 2001 to 2007. He was a scout and executive for the Eagles from 2008 to 2013.
The Jets previously announced interviews with Thomas Dimitroff, Jon Robinson and Jim Nagy for the GM role.
New York is 4-12 and led by Jeff Ulbrich as its interim head coach and Phil Savage as interim general manager. The Jets are searching for full-time replacements for the roles after firing coach Robert Saleh in October and GM Joe Douglas in November.
As the hiring cycle heats up, the Jets are also one of the teams expected to target Mike Vrabel for their coaching job, The Athletic previously reported. The New Orleans Saints are also expected to target Vrabel and he’s expected to draw interest from other franchises.
The Jets host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in their regular-season finale.
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