Gang Green Nation
The Jets’ consultants took a data driven approach
New York Jets fans are quite familiar with Mike Tannenbaum after a decade-long tenure with him at the franchise’s helm as general manager. Since then, Tannenbaum has become entrenched with The 33rd Team, an NFL media arm and consulting firm.
This offseason, The 33rd Team and Mike Tannenbaum were hired to help the New York Jets with their searches for a head coach and general manager. Given that, Tannenbaum was able to give some insights into how the search was conducted when he spoke with 880ESPN earlier this week.
As summarized by Rich Cimini of ESPN, Tannenbaum said the following:
Tannenbaum and his @The33rdTeamFB teammate Rick Spielman vetted candidates, collected data and participated in interviews. The Johnsons made the final decisions.
* Speaking of his role, Tannenbaum called it “a data-driven approach.” The in-season firings of Saleh and Douglas gave them “a huge head start” in collecting info. They studied 30 years of data/leaguewide trends for hiring.
* In vetting candidates, they went so far as to speak to agents of players who got cut by candidates. They also spoke to countless staff members.
* There was an emphasis on leadership ability, as opposed to Xs-and-Os acumen.
* On GM Darren Mougey: “When people survive ownership changes, typically there’s something special about them.” Denver had 3 ownership changes, with Tannenbaum noting that Mougey’s responsibilities increased after each one.
* HC Aaron Glenn “checked every box...He paid his dues every step of the way.” One thing that impressed them with Glenn was the belief that he can build a strong staff: “(He’s) a person that people want to work for.”
* Tannenbaum believes the Jets got it right with both hires because of “character, intelligence and experience.
Perhaps particularly interesting is Tannenbaum’s note that a “pro” for Mougey was that he was able to stay with the Broncos despite some ownership turmoil, which Tannenbaum signals is uncommon absent something “special.” Given New York Jets ownership’s zaniness, this might help him to succeed here specifically.
Beyond that, Tannenbaum’s note on Glenn’s likeliness to build a strong staff seems like a signal that the coordinator and coaching moves that will come will be widely respected across the league. Who exactly those hires are remains to be seen, but hopefully Tannenbaum’s optimism is warranted as some quality hires would surely assist in Glenn’s transition into a head coach for the first time.
