Getty Former Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak embracing a coach at midfield after an NFL game.
The New York Jets might be hoping two are better than one.
On Wednesday, January 12 the Jets fired offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic cobbled together a list of potential candidates and one idea would be fascinating.
Instead of just hiring one man for the job, the team could hire two men.
Gary Kubiak retired in 2021 but has direct ties to head coach Robert Saleh from their time together with the Houston Texans. Rosenblatt called him an “ideal candidate” to serve as a senior assistant on the staff.
He said it’s “unlikely” he comes out of retirement but said he might be more willing to work again if the Jets also hired his son Klint Kubiak.
Gary Kubiak-Klint Kubiak Could Be Perfect Jets Combo
Gary is a wildly accomplished coach that owns four Super Bowl rings, one as a head coach and three as an assistant.
However at the tender age of 61, he will be 62 by the start of the 2023 season, he might not be willing to run an offensive show by himself.
That is where his son could enter the mix.
While Rosenblatt notes that Saleh and Klint have “never technically worked” together, they have obvious ties from the relationship with his father.
Currently, Klint is serving as the Denver Broncos’ passing game coordinator and quarterback coach. The Broncos fired Nathaniel Hackett on Monday, December 26, and will be bringing in a replacement sooner rather than later who will then bring in his own staff.
With Gary available as a retired coach and his son soon to be available on the open market, the Jets could lure the father-son combination to Florham Park to fix the team’s offense.
More Changes Coming to the Jets Coaching Staff
LaFleur wasn’t the only Jets coach that lost his job this week.
Head coach Robert Saleh announced several other departures during his impromptu presser on Thursday, January 12.
- John Benton, offensive line coach and run game coordinator
- Miles Austin, wide receiver coach
For now, there have been three total casualties on the Jets staff but there might be more coming.
Depending on who the team ends up hiring as the new offensive coordinator, Saleh indicated that individual will have “some wiggle room” for some additional staff changes.
In other words, several of the Jets coaches that have seemingly survived the initial slaughtering could still be in danger later this offseason.
#Jets HC Robert Saleh said they will cast a ‘wide net’ in search for a new OC, ‘I’m not looking for a particular scheme per se’ + the new OC will ‘absolutely’ have a say in what they do at QB + ‘there is some wiggle room’ for additional staff changes: 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight
Saleh also shared some other key details during his presser on what the team is looking for in its next offensive coordinator.
He said the team will cast a “wide net” and the scheme that individual runs won’t be a focal point. In other words, it appears Saleh is ready to cut ties with the San Francisco offensive style he was married to when he was first hired.
Whoever the Jets hire to run their offense will “absolutely” have a say in what the team does at the quarterback position this offseason.
Both of those massive nuggets open up a ton of possibilities for who could be the next man to fill the OC role in 2023.