The Jets could be on verge of losing another assistant coach.
Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops is considering Jets QB coach Rob Calabrese for the school’s vacant offensive coordinator position, according to Kentucky Sports Radio’s Nick Roush. The Rams hired Kentucky’s former offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, to help Sean McVay run thire offense, which leaves the door open for Stoops to add another coach with a connection to the Shanahan offense.
Calabrese joined the Jets and Robert Saleh last offseason after coaching with the Denver Broncos. He was tabbed with helping develop No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson. The Jets added a couple of offensive assistants around Calabrese, including Wilson’s personal coach, John Beck, and senior offensive assistant Matt Cavanaugh. Neither were retained for the 2022 season.
The plan, per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes, is to give Calabrese more autonomy in the QB room without Beck and Cavanaugh, but that idea would crumble if Calabrese jumps to the college ranks after one season. Calabrese previously served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, USF, and coached at Wagner College prior to his first NFL job with the Broncos in 2019.
Losing Calabrese wouldn’t be the end of the word for the Jets, but it would certainly add another headache for Saleh this offseason. He would need to find another coach for Wilson a year after the two started working together. It doesn’t sound as though Calabrese is a shoo-in for the Kentucky role, but the idea he’s being considered could give the Jets a bit of consternation heading into a critical spring and summer.
