After another disaster season, the New York Jets have hit the reset button at general manager and head coach; add quarterback depending on what Aaron Rodgers does. But when it comes to finding their next head coach, the Jets could look to turn back the clock.

Rex Ryan is emerging as a serious candidate for the New York vacancy, via Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda. The Jets could opt for familiarity in their next hiring cycle. Ryan obviously has strong ties to New York, which could be the deciding factor.

“Ryan was head coach of those Jets teams that went to consecutive conference title games. He's also an excellent defensive-minded coach and people believe the fans will buy in if Ryan is hired. Many believe Ryan will succeed with a defense that looks good on paper where interim coach Jeff Ulbrich has failed since taking over.”

“For all those reasons, there are a lot of people in the league who think it's the right move.”

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Ryan led the Jets from 2009-2014 with the team holding a 46-50 record under him. However, New York advanced to the AFC Championship Game in both 2009 and 2010. The Jets haven't been back to the playoffs since.

Ryan's .479 win percentage is the seventh-highest in Jets history. It far surpasses the ones earned by the coaches that replaced him. Todd Bowles' teams went 24-40 (.375) from 2015-2018. The Adam Gase era was even worse, as the Jets held a .281 winning percentage, going 9-23. Robert Saleh raised the bar slightly, but his teams still went 20-36 (.357). The Jets are 2-9 under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.

If the Jets are looking at recent success, Ryan stands out amongst the bunch. However, it's important to note that he hasn't been on an NFL sideline since getting fired as Buffalo Bills head coach in 2016. Ryan has made it no secret that he would welcome a return to the Jets. Still, his signing would be seen as a bit out of the box.

But if there's one NFL franchise that knows Rex Ryan, it's New York. Some fans may view it as the Jets relying on nostalgia for a cheap pop. But the Jets genuinely believe Ryan could be the head coach to lead them back to prominence.