Staten Island Advance

Pivotal Year Ahead

New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan and CEO Christopher Johnson are in the market for a head coach once again.

Maccagnan, entering his fifth season at the helm of the Jets front office, has been saddled with recently fired head coach Todd Bowles since he joined the team in 2015.

That is no longer the case, and the frugal Jets are loaded with nearly $100m in cap space entering a pivotal 2018 season, which could ultimately determine Maccagnan's own future with the team.

We've assembled a list of 11 potential coaching hires, including a couple of gag options, but we'll let you decide who's legit and who isn't.

So stay tuned and keep scrolling for an inside look..

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Not So Much

Lincoln Riley, the sassy southerner from Texas who currently coaches Oklahama, would be an ideal fit for the Jets and second-year quarterback Sam Darnold.

The 35-year-old would be among the hottest names on the coaching market, but recent reports of an extension with Oklahoma will likely end the Jets pursuit.

Remember: Riley was tasked with developing 2018 No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield, who exploded onto the NFL scene this season.

Riley's spread-it-out college offense could do wonders for Darnold's on-field prognosis.

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Dark Horse

Some may scoff at the mention of Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken, but despite his club's 5-11 record, the team's offense did not disappoint.

The Bucs offense was largely plagued by poor quarterback play via Jameis Winston and former Jet Ryan Fitzpatrick -- each was benched for the other during the season -- but the offense still managed to finish 12th in points per game (24.8) to go along with the league's third best mark in terms of yards (415.5 per game).

Monken's leadership skills remain in question, as his only prior head coaching experience came during a three-year stint with Southern Mississippi, where he went 13-26 at the college level.

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Defense again?

The New York Jets have literally not had an offensive-minded head coach this century.

Could they go defense AGAIN?

Dallas Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard, a former cornerback, could be the guy who keeps the run on defensive-minded head coaches in NY alive.

Richard helped orchestrate the Legion of Boom as Seattle's defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator from 2010-2017 before serving as Dallas' DC this season.

Players seem to gravitate to the 39-year-old's charismatic personality...but it may be time to develop Sam Darnold with an offensive mind, nevertheless.

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DING DING DING

This one might be a no-brainer...and current New York Jet Jamal Adams agrees.

When SNY pointed out that Adams, the team's top draft pick from 2017, had followed Kliff Kingsbury on Instagram, the second-year safety admittedly acknowledged it.

"Looks like Jamal Adams might have a top choice for the next head coach of the Jets," wrote SNY's twitter account.

To which Adams retorted: "U damn right!"

Kingsbury recently developed potential NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes while coaching at Texas Tech from 2012-2018.

He also orchestrated Texas A&M's offense during Johnny Manziel's Heisman-winning days.

Kingsbury was unceremoniously fired from Texas Tech in November, but quickly took a job as USC's offensive coordinator...a title he may not hold for long if NFL front offices have anything to say about it.

If you can't have Lincoln Riley, Kingsbury isn't a bad alternative.

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Super Bowl Winner?

Yes, Mike McCarthy is a former Super Bowl winning coach who developed Aaron Rodgers into a perennial MVP candidate.

And yes, he did have a tremendously successful 13-year career in Green Bay.

But his cut-and-dry personality, coupled with his poor dealings with Rodgers on his way out the door in Wisconsin seem to make him destined for disaster in NYC.

Rodgers reportedly dismissed McCarthy's play-calling at the line of scrimmage, opting for his own preferred plays.

The Rodgers-led Packers hadn't won more than 10 games in five years, and boast an underwhelming 13-18-1 record over the past two seasons.

A strong resume, but lack of personality and recent success make McCarthy a dull hire in New York.

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...BORING

Jim Caldwell's bland personality makes McCarthy look like a rockstar.

However, the former Indianapolis Colts head coach (2009-2011) and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator (2012-13) is the owner of a pair of Super Bowl rings.

Though his 2010 championship came with Peyton Manning at the helm, his Ravens offense did usurp the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl in 2013.

Regardless, his lackluster approach and mediocre record as Detroit's head coach from 2014-17 make him an uninteresting hire.

With the boisterous Rex Ryan sandwiched between the team's prior two BORING hires in Todd Bowles and Eric Mangini, the Jets are due for some flavor!

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Broadway

To heck with all these 30-somethings seeking head coaching gigs.

Let's get some spunk back in that Jets locker room that hasn't been felt since the Rex Ryan era.

And let's do it in the form of 75-year-old team legend Joe Namath.

He hasn't played since the '70s and hasn't coached a day in his life...but he did once try to drunkenly kiss an on-air reporter during a live game broadcast, which is more than enough spunk for me and should provide plenty of flavor!

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DENIED!

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell is another hot name on the college level.

The 39-year-old posted an impressive 35-15 record over five seasons at Toledo before taking over at ISU.

He's followed up a 3-9 inaugural mark with a pair of 8-5 seasons over the past two years, but he quickly reneged the Jets.

Campbell reportedly turned down the opportunity to interview with the team last week.

Smart man.

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An Intriguing Option

The Kansas City Chiefs lead the league in points and yards, making the team's offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy an intriguing candidate.

A product of Andy Reid's coaching tree, Bieniemy's system has led to the success of second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who fired 50 TDs in 2018.

Mahomes also threw for over 5,000 yards this season.

A relative unknown with only one year of coordinator experience at the NFL level leaves some to be desired, but the thought of a Jets QB approaching any of those marks makes my mouth water...

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Return of the Sanchize

OK, so picture this..

A failed career, a wasted draft pick, an underachiever on one of the league's most talented teams during his playing days, but Mark "The Sanchize" Sanchez makes his triumphant return to New York City as coach of the Jets, leading current first round pick Sam Darnold to the Super Bowl Sanchez was supposed to deliver nearly a decade prior.

Sounds like a pretty good screenplay, doesn't it?

There isn't a shot in hell Mark Sanchez sniffs the Jets sideline in any capacity any time soon...and erm, there's a decent chance he never appears on a sideline again following his performance this season in Washington.

But (fumble), Mark Sanchez jokes are always funny.

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Old School

Let's kick it old school, with 66-year-old coaching candidate Bruce Arians.

The former Arizona Cardinals head coach from 2013-17 has been linked to the Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns job openings, though the Jets may be a good fit as well.

Known for his team's high-powered offenses, Arian was the AP's NFL Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2014, and is a two-time Super Bowl winner as an assistant in Pittsburgh, where he served as offensive coordinator.

A respected veteran in the industry, he boasts a 58-33 career coaching mark and could be the stabilizing voice in a Jets locker room that seemingly lost respect for Bowles this season.

Well, that's a wrap on our list of potential coaches, but please keep in mind that you should take this list with a grain of salt, as every Jets coach this decade has been sentenced to mediocrity.

No NYJ coach has left New York with a winning record since Al Groh, who guided the team to a 9-7 mark during his only season at the helm in 2000.