New York welcomes in the fist pump. No were not talking about the guys from the Jersey shore but the Jets have selected former Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano to be their offensive coordinator.
Reports came out Tuesday night that Jets OC Brian Schottenheimer had resigned, and within an hour Chris Mortenson reported that Tony Sparano is the man slated to replace him.
@MortReport: RT @TheJetsStream: Source confirms that Tony Sparano will be the new Jets offensive coordinator. #nyj #Dolphins
Their had been rumours the Jets were ready to move from Shotty as their offense struggled most of the season and there had been talks about disputes with Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan all season long. Apparently however it was Schottenheimer who announced that he will not be returning to the Jets as clearly the relationship he formed with the Jets was beyond repair. Shotty is now rumoured to possibly be an OC in a Jeff Fisher lead coaching staff.
Here was his statement released through the team:
“After much thought and consideration, I have decided not to return to the New York Jets in 2012. I am very proud of what we have accomplished in the six years I have been here. I am grateful for the relationships that I have with our players and coaches and appreciate the hard work and dedication that went into our success. My family and I would like to thank Rex Ryan and the entire Jets organization and wish them continued success. I look forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.”
The Jets wasted no time replacing Shotty, going after a former coach within the division. While Sparano has no offensive coordinator experience in the NFL, he has been around the league plenty generally in an offensive line role and more recently as the head coach of the Dolphins. The hiring is a bit curious as Sparano offensive style looks like: Run, Run, Run, Field Goal, Fist Pump.
While it is a high profile hiring for the Jets I would not be shocked if it came with a bit of dismay. While some fans will be happy Shotty is gone I am sure they were hoping for a less conservative options than Tony Sparano, who does not have the greatest track record with young QB’s (Chad Henne). But then again, his salvage job on Matt Moore could be just what the doctor ordered for Sanchez.
