Mike Tannenbaum has the power, now he must find the right coach for Jets
January 4 New York Daily News Columnist Gary Myers
"The only Super Bowl trophy the Jets own celebrates its 40th birthday on Jan. 12. One month and two days later, Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum celebrates his 40th birthday.
This is the first coaching search he's controlled, and he has no previous ties to any of the outside candidates. He has no coaching tree. He is the last branch.
The Jets' immediate future is in his hands.
Confident, Jets fans?
Tannenbaum did not take the typical path to become an NFL general manager. He went to law school. He's never been a scout. He's never coached. His first big job was running the Jets' salary cap when Bill Parcells hired him in 1997.
He came up with a brilliant poison pill offer sheet that enabled the Jets to steal Curtis Martin from the Patriots in 1998, but now left on his own in free agency, he signed free agents and made trades after the 2007 season that added $160 million worth of contracts and the Jets didn't even make the playoffs.
But Tannenbaum leads the Jets search for their new head coach. He was flying solo last week with Woody Johnson out of the country until tomorrow and not at the Jets facility Saturday for the crucial interview with Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who was also scheduled to interview with Broncos owner Pat Bowlen last night after interviewing with the Browns and Lions on Thursday.
Johnson's absence complicated the Jets pursuit of Bill Cowher, who removed himself from consideration Tuesday night hours after the Jets were working on setting up a meeting. Several sources said that Cowher would have met with the Jets if Johnson was available, but it was a long shot that he would have taken the job any way because he does not have the desire to coach in 2009.
"Bill Cowher did not say anything negative about Brett Favre or Mike Tannenbaum," one source with knowledge of the situation said. "He said he would like to sit down with the owner and they told him the owner was out of the country. If you have Hall of Fame credentials and Super Bowls, why deal with a guy like Mike Tannenbaum when you want to deal with the owner?"
Cowher might have been able to work with Tannenbaum, but he would have been working for Johnson, and sources said there was no need to meet with Tannenbaum first. Instead of waiting for Johnson to return this week, Cowher ended talks with the Jets.
Obviously, he had no interest in the job.
Johnson is extremely loyal and dependent on Tannenbaum. In June, Johnson added the title of executive vice president to Tannenbaum's role as general manager. Tannenbaum has final say, and Johnson was emphatic Monday that the coach and GM jobs must remain separate."Link
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