Getty Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck chats with ex-OC Pep Hamilton in 2015.
Mike LaFleur is officially out as the New York Jets offensive coordinator.
With that comes an immediate rolodex of candidates to replace him from NFL insiders and media members around the league. One early suggestion was Pep Hamilton, who served as the Houston Texans offensive coordinator last season and their quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator the year before that.
NFL insider Albert Breer first connected Hamilton to the Jets, despite his current employment in Houston, but keep in mind that the Texans already fired head coach Lovie Smith. They could continue to clean house depending on who they hire to take his place.
But why would the Jets want someone who was let go by 2022’s worst franchise in the AFC? The answer to that would be his track record. After all, Hamilton has groomed his fair share of superstar quarterbacks over the years.
Pep Hamilton Has Worked With Andrew Luck, Justin Herbert & Alex Smith Among Others
New York Daily News reporter Antwan Staley recently labeled Hamilton a “home run” hire for the Jets at offensive coordinator despite some hesitation from fans. Everyone is focused on the OC’s lack of 2022 success in Houston, but we’re talking about a man with 15 years of NFL experience and 24 years in the game of football overall — one season with subpar talent to work with shouldn’t necessarily define his career.
The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt listed him as a candidate for the Jets job as well, summarizing: “The 48-year-old ran a disjointed offense in Houston, though like LaFleur, he didn’t have much to work with at quarterback. He also was the offensive coordinator for the [Indianapolis] Colts in 2013-15 and has a reputation around the league for developing quarterbacks.”
It’s fair to say that Rosenblatt left some parts out. Hamilton does have a wealth of experience developing signal-callers as a sort of quarterback whisperer. Most notably, he’s worked with Andrew Luck, Justin Herbert and Alex Smith during the early stages of their illustrious careers. He’s also spent time with Jay Cutler and NYJ fan favorite Chad Pennington during a previous stint with the Jets from 2003 through 2005.
The Los Angeles Chargers rising star, Herbert, won offensive rookie of the year with Hamilton as his quarterbacks coach in 2020. His number one QB gem was definitely Luck, however.
Hamilton first mentored the top prospect at Stanford, then later joined him in Indianapolis as the offensive coordinator — his first opportunity in that role. According to his coaching profile with the Texans, “he coached a Colts offense in 2014 that ranked first in passing offense (305.9 yards per game) and third in total offense (406.6), setting single-season franchise records for passing yards (4,894) and total net yards (6,506). QB Andrew Luck, who earned Pro Bowl nods in both 2013 and 2014, passed for career highs in yards (4,761) and touchdowns (40) during the 2014 season. Luck also set a team record with eight-consecutive 300-yard performances.”
Recently, Hamilton had third-round draft pick Davis Mills outperforming first-rounders like Zach Wilson and Justin Fields during their rookie campaign in 2021. Mills’ numbers did drop off a bit in year two after Hamilton was promoted to full-time OC.
Is Pep Hamilton Best as a Quarterbacks Coach?
The case could definitely be made that Hamilton’s specialty is the QB position, not necessarily offensive coordinator as a whole.
The Texans ranked second to last in yards per game and points per game in 2022 under his command, but he could be a great asset for the struggling No. 2 overall selection out of BYU. That type of hire might scare off some fans who would rather focus on the here and now.
General manager Joe Douglas could see this OC hire the same way, with his job potentially on the line in 2023. If the Jets are planning to draft a new quarterback of the future this April, or go all-in on developing Wilson into the passer that he was projected to be out of college, there are few options with a better resume than Pep Hamilton.
At the same time, the veteran guru may be better suited as the Jets new quarterbacks coach — let’s say Houston decides to move on from him as their offensive coordinator — a role currently held by the inexperienced Rob Calabrese. Either way, Hamilton could be a strong option for Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh to consider.
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