Ex-Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum will help team find next coach and GM

A familiar face will help the Jets with their general manager and coaching search.

Gang Green has hired The 33rd Team, founded by former Jets General manager and senior vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum, to help them find candidates for their general manager and coaching vacancies, according to sources.

Former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman will also help Tannenbaum identify candidates for the roles. The 33rd Team will also provide data analysis and experience to assist the Jets in seeking new leadership.

The Jets fired both general manager Joe Douglas and coach Robert Saleh during this season. Owner Woody Johnson fired Saleh on Oct. 8 and Douglas on Nov. 19.

Johnson will supervise both the general manager and coaching searches but will receive help from The 33rd Team and others within the Jets organization, who will also be involved in the search.

Spielman was an advisor to the Commanders in 2024 in their search for the team’s new head coach and general manager. Washington ultimately hired Adam Peters as its general manager and Dan Quinn as coach. The Commanders currently have a 7-5 record and have been one of the surprise teams in the league this season.

Tannebaum started with the Jets organization in 1997 as a director of player contracts. He became the team’s director of pro player development in 2000 and later the general manager and director of pro personnel from 2006-12.

Tannebaum was also the last general manager to have significant success for the Jets. He was the architect of the Jets teams that went to back-to-back AFC Championships in 2009 and 2010. Since then, the Jets have missed the playoffs for 13 consecutive seasons, the longest playoff drought in North American sports.

Under Tannebaum, the Jets drafted cornerstone players such as Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, and Nick Mangold. He also hired former Jets coaches Eric Mangini and Rex Ryan during his tenure as general manager.

In 2012, Tannebaum was fired following the Jets 6-10 record. In 2015, Tannebaum became the Dolphins executive vice president of football operations until owner Stephen Ross fired him in 2018.

The Jets previous three general managers following Tannenbaum’s departure, John Idzik Jr., Mike Maccagnan, and Douglas, all failed to make the playoffs during their tenures. Maccagnan is the only Jets general manager to record a winning record (2015) since 2010.

Gang Green is officially in rebuild mode after Johnson fired Saleh and Douglas. The team entered the 2024 season with not just playoff expectations but Super Bowl aspirations. But with a 3-8 record with six games, the Jets are poised to miss the playoffs for the 14th straight season.

After beginning the season 2-3, Johnson fired Saleh and made defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich interim coach. Johnson felt like the Jets were underachieving after calling the roster the best during his 25 seasons as owner.

Since Johnson fired Saleh, the Jets are 1-5 and are tied for last place in the AFC East with the Patriots. During the bye last week, Johnson fired Douglas so the team could begin their general manager and coaching search. Douglas was in the final year of his contract, which he signed in 2019.

The Jets are one of two coaching vacancies currently open. The Saints fired coach Dennis Allen on Nov. 4 following a 2-7 start.

The Jets can currently interview any potential candidate who does not work for an NFL team. If they want to interview candidates currently working for any of the 32 teams, the Jets will have to wait until Jan. 5, the conclusion of the regular season.