Rex Ryan is sticking around … for now.
The Jets and Ryan reached an agreement on a contract extension to keep the head coach, but the deal has some wrinkles when it comes to its length.
The Jets gave him a multi-year extension, but they can easily get out of the deal after 2015, according to a source. Ryan had one year remaining on his current deal, but neither side wanted him to go into 2014 as a lame-duck coach.
According to a source, Ryan’s salary is fully guaranteed only through 2015, meaning the Jets could opt out after that season without having to pay him his full salary in 2016 or beyond. It is unclear exactly how many total years the contract covers.
The contract contains incentives for playoff wins, but they are only monetary and do not trigger any additional years on the deal. The Jets have not been to the playoffs since the 2010 season.
The Jets confirmed Ryan signed an extension, but would not divulge any details. He was scheduled to make $3.3 million next season under his original contract.
All of this means Ryan still is coaching for his job in 2014, because the Jets could fire him after the coming season and only have to pay him his 2015 salary, plus possibly a little more. Ryan likely views it as placing a bet on himself. If he has the success he expects to have, he will be with the Jets for several more years.
The possibility of long-term stability also enables Ryan to sell his assistant coaches with expiring contracts on staying with the team rather than looking for a situation with greater security. The Jets lost special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica on Wednesday when he took the same job with the Redskins.
“I want to thank Woody [Johnson, owner], John [Idzik, general manager], our players, our coaches and our fans for all of their support,” Ryan said in a statement released by the team. “I’m no different than any of our fans. I’m an ordinary guy that’s been given an unbelievable opportunity. I’ve said all along: I’m glad to be a Jet. I’m happy to be a Jet. That’s never changed. I know what we all want and we’re striving to get there. But it’s not about me. We’re already into our offseason planning. There are a lot of areas where we can improve and we can’t wait to get this thing rolling.”
The 51-year-old Ryan is entering his sixth season as the Jets head coach. He is 46-40, including the playoffs. His teams have missed the posteason the past three seasons, and he has not had a winning year since 2010, when he led the Jets to their second consecutive AFC Championship Game.
Ryan’s job status was a constant story in 2013 after Johnson fired GM Mike Tannenbaum, but retained Ryan following the 2012 season. New GM John Idzik was expected to want to hire his own coach after last season, but the Jets overachieved in the eyes of many by going 8-8, and Johnson announced after the team’s 20-7 victory over Miami on Dec. 29 that Ryan would return in 2014.
“We’re clearly on the ascent,” Johnson said that day. “A lot of it is due to our coach, coach Rex Ryan. We’re going to keep Rex Ryan and he’ll be our coach next year.”
Ryan arrived in 2009 promising a Super Bowl. He has yet to deliver on that. After back-to-back AFC title games his first two seasons, his teams have gone 8-8, 6-10 and 8-8 since.
The relationship between Ryan and Idzik, something that drew a lot of attention, is a good one by all accounts. The decision to keep Ryan supports that.
“Rex and I have worked well since I got here and have the same vision for this football team,” Idzik said in the statement. “As I have stated before, he is a phenomenal teacher and motivator. We are fortunate to have him as our head coach. The front office, coaches, players, this entire organization — we’re all in this together. We are all governed by the same motives and that is to build a perennial winner here with the Jets.”