Jan. 11--Despite four consecutive non-winning seasons with the New York Jets, it appears Rex Ryan's NFL coaching days are far from over.
Ryan is poised to become the next coach of the Buffalo Bills, according to multiple reports. Ryan is planning to soon accept a five-year offer made by the Bills, NFL.com reported Sunday morning. The deal would include Ryan bringing on Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman.
Ryan will replace Doug Marrone, who announced his resignation in a surprising move last month. Marrone led the Bills to a 9-7 record in his second year with the team. Ryan was one of 12 candidates to interview for the job.
After posting two winning campaigns in his first seasons in New York, Ryan failed to steer the Jets back to the postseason. He went 50-52 in the regular season and 4-2 in the postseason over six seasons with the Jets, and struggled to meet the franchise's expectations.
Ryan and the Jets went 4-12 this season, the team's worst result since 2007.
Still, the situation in Buffalo is not ideal. While the Bills' defense has shown promise, the team does not have a reliable starting quarterback.
Starter Kyle Orton announced his retirement at the end of the season and E.J. Manuel has not lived up to expectations. Ryan's track record with young quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith in New York suggests it will be a challenge for him to turn the struggling Manuel into a bona fide starter.
