The Jets have completed a virtual interview with Darren Rizzi for their head coach vacancy.
Rizzi served as the Saints interim head coach since Week 9 and finished the season with a 3-5 record. He was the special teams coordinator from 2019-24 and took on the title as assistant head coach in 2022.
Rizzi, 54, is from Hillsdale, NJ, which is about 35 miles away from the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. He went to Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, NJ, before he attended the University of Rhode Island. He started coaching in the NFL in 2009 with the Dolphins as their assistant special teams coach. He was promoted to special teams coordinator in 2010 and held that position until 2018 before he joined the Saints.
Rizzi first started coaching in 1993 as a graduate assistant at Colgate. He then held multiple roles with New Haven from 1994-2001, including head coach (1999-01). He was the special teams coordinator at Rutgers in from 2002-07 before he was named the head coach of his alma mater for the 2008 season.
In the NFL, Rizzi's special teams units have ranked in the top half of NFL writer Rick Gosselin's special teams rankings in 12 of the 13 years he's been a coordinator. Since Rizzi entered the NFL, seven special teams players have been named to eight Pro Bowls under his tutelage. He's also coached six players to the NFL All-Rookie team over the past 10 years.
Jets Chairman Woody Johnson is leading the searches for a head coach and general manager. He hired The 33rd Team in a support role to help identify and vet candidates in addition to coordinate interviews.
For a full list of the head coaching and general manager candidates the Jets have interviewed, click here.
