Mike Tannenbaum, Rick Spielman to help Jets’ GM, HC search

The New York Jets, poised for an organizational reboot after firing their coach and general manager, are tapping into their past to help with the process.

The 33rd team, founded by former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum in 2019, has been retained by the team to provide data analysis and experience in their searches for the two positions. The 33rd Team is a media and technology company better known as a football “think tank”.

Tannenbaum and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman, who served as an adviser to the Washington Commanders’ GM and coaching searches last year, will lead the project for The 33rd Team.

The Jets, led by owner Woody Johnson, will oversee the search. Tannenbaum and Spielman will screen candidates and provide reference checks in addition to providing data on hiring trends. In short, they can be a sounding board throughout the process. It is too early to say whether they will participate in the actual interviews.

Mired in their most disappointing season in recent memory, the Jets (3-8) fired coach Robert Saleh on Oct. 8 and general manager Joe Douglas last week. Jeff Ulbrich and Phil Savage serve as the Jets’ interim coach and general manager, respectively.

This will mark the first time since 2015 that the team will seek to fill the GM and head coaching jobs in the same offseason. In 2015, the Jets hired former GMs Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf as consultants, and eventually hired Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles as their GM and coach, respectively.

The 33rd team has helped with college coaching searches, but this will be the company’s first NFL search.

In hiring Tannenbaum, 55, who also works as an ESPN analyst, Johnson is leaning on someone he has known since 2000, when he bought the team.

Tannenbaum worked as the Jets’ cap specialist from 1997 to 2005, rising to the role of GM in 2006. Under Tannenbaum, the Jets made the playoffs three times, but he was fired by Johnson after the 2012 season.

As head of the Jets and Miami Dolphins (2015-18), Tannenbaum oversaw three coaching searches, hiring Eric Mangini (2006) and Rex Ryan (2009) to the Jets and Adam Gase (2016) to the Dolphins. He also participated in the Jets’ search that yielded Herm Edwards (2001). In each case, the team reached the playoffs in its first season under the new coach.

Tannenbaum’s link to Ryan will fuel speculation about a reunion, especially since Ryan has openly fought for the opening, but it’s too early to say Ryan will be a contender. The Johnsons, Woody and brother Christopher, will make the final decision.

The Jets’ most recent playoff appearance (2010) came with Ryan as coach; he was fired after the 2014 season. Their playoff drought is on the verge of reaching 14 years, the NFL’s longest active streak.

Spielman, 61, was the Vikings GM from 2012 to 2021 and reached the playoffs four times. He conducted just one coaching search during that span, hiring Mike Zimmer in 2014. Zimmer lasted eight seasons and made three playoff appearances.