NFL insider floats worst head coach reunion for Jets — and it's not Rex Ryan

The New York Jets have experienced a rapid descent. Less than three months after beginning the season with Super Bowl aspirations, the entire organization is in a full-blown rebuild.

Recent reports have revealed that Jets owner Woody Johnson essentially declared a state of emergency and seized power away from general manager Joe Douglas at some point last season.

This season, Johnson has seemed ready to make swift — and perhaps ill-advised — decisions. He wanted to bench quarterback Aaron Rodgers after Week 4, he fired head coach Robert Saleh after Week 5, and Douglas was shown the door after Week 11. It’s no secret that Rodgers is nearing the end of his tenure as well.

The Jets are barreling toward their 14th consecutive season without a playoff appearance, the longest active playoff drought in all four major North American professional sports leagues.

NFL insider names Eric Mangini as Jets head coach candidate — but is it a good idea?

This offseason, the Jets will begin their search for a new head coach who can help end that streak. As New York looks ahead, The Athletic’s Diana Russini ($) suggested looking backward by hiring former head coach Eric Mangini.

During his coaching career, Mangini also became known as “Mangenius” — a nickname that served as a compliment or an insult, depending on who was saying it. Mangini got his NFL start as an assistant for the Cleveland Browns under all-time great coach Bill Belichick. When Belichick went to the New England Patriots, Mangini followed. He ultimately betrayed his mentor and served as the Jets head coach from 2006 to 2008.

Russini points to Mangini’s 2006 season with the Jets, when he helped assemble a roster that consisted of center Nick Mangold, offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, and cornerback Darrelle Revis. The Jets finished with a 10-6 record that season.

However, credit for that roster could go to general manager Mike Tannenbaum, and talent is not the problem in New York anyway. The Jets need a winning culture, better discipline, and — perhaps most importantly — good ownership.

Although Mangini started his head coaching career with a 10-6 record, he never had another season with double-digit wins again. Mangini finished his three-year stint in New York with a 23-25 record.

Mangini spent the next two seasons as the Browns head coach, where he posted two seasons with a 5-11 record. He spent a few years as an assistant coach around the league before ultimately fizzling out. That left him with an uninspiring 33-47 record (.413) through five seasons as a head coach.

Coincidentally, Mangini was the Jets head coach the last time they acquired a Hall of Fame quarterback from the Green Bay Packers. The results with Brett Favre weren’t much better than they’ve been with Rodgers, and that failed experiment ushered in the era of head coach Rex Ryan.

Perhaps it’s Ryan, not Mangini, who deserves a second opportunity. After all, the boisterous and energetic coach led the Jets to two consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances in his first two seasons with the team.