Tryin' Ryan

I hope to have more on this later, but, as of this morning, I think this is a very good move for the Jets, a normally hapless organization. As much as I liked Mangini, or rather as much as I rooted for his success, he never looked like he was particularly enjoying himself on the sidelines. Nor did he inspire much confidence with his perpetual, petulant smirk. In this regard, Ryan, who is reportedly beloved by his defensive players, is the anti-Mangini: a fiery, personable and animated coach.

Said Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum:

During our search, we were looking for a great football mind and a passionate leader. Rex is a coach with an established track record who is universally respected by players and coaches for his skills as a communicator and his creativity.

My first instinct is to say that Ryan will do well in New York. The Jets should be better defensively under Ryan's direction and, I think, better prepared each week. Of course, I've been known to be wrong about such football-related things before. 

UPDATE:

It seems Ryan as the anti-Mangini is the catchphrase of the morning. 

Writes Daily News sports reporter Rich Cimini:

[The Jets'] unspoken quest was to find the anti-Mangini, a charismatic and fiery leader to change the stuffy, paranoid culture that permeated the organization. In other words, they wanted a player's coach, someone who could make football fun again. It led them to Rex Ryan.

And Gary Myers elaborates on Ryan's anti-Manginess:

[The Jets] recouped nicely Monday by hiring Ravens charismatic defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, an anti-Mangini, which is just what the Jets needed.

[...]Mangini was paranoid, secretive, bland - and the worst indictment of all, was an awful game-day manager with no feel for the game or his team. His players threw him under the bus when they failed to play with intensity the last month of the season.

Ryan has lots of personality, is passionate, his players love playing for him, he makes it fun and his imaginative defensive schemes will result in more game-changing plays. He may be unknown as a head coach, but we know the Jets were going nowhere with Mangini.

Ryan gives the Jets an identity. He won't look like he's ready to take a nap on the sidelines like Mangini.

The more I think about Ryan's hiring, the more I like it. He's an emotional and player-friendly defensive whiz who understands football's many intricacies. Ironically, Ryan seems, at first blush, a hybrid of Herm Edwards' strategy-deficient passion and Mangini's passionless schemes -- a healthy combination of both former Jets coaches, minus the duo's well-documented shortcomings. 

A good hire, me thinks.