Edwards Becomes Jets’ Fourth Coach in Little Over a Year

Herman Edwards finally moved into a top job after nine years as an NFL assistant when he was introduced Thursday as head coach of the New York Jets.

Edwards, 45, becomes the NFL’s third active black head coach.

Replacing Al Groh, who left after one season to coach his alma mater, Virginia, Edwards is the Jets’ fourth coach in a little more than a year.

Edwards, an assistant head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, worked with Terry Bradway, the Jets’ new general manager, in Kansas City.

“He’s the best man to lead the Jets on the path to the world championship,” Bradway said. “More than being an outstanding coach, he’s an outstanding person and has great respect not only for the game but for the details. His experience as a player, personnel evaluator, assistant coach and assistant head coach has prepared him for the challenge that lies ahead.”

The hiring ended a quick, four-candidate search to replace Groh. Also interviewed were former Carolina Panther coach Dom Capers, Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell and Jets’ assistant head coach Maurice Carthon.

“I think the process was good, fair, and they chose the best-qualified person to run the football team,” said Edwards, accompanied by his wife, Lia. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead, but our goals are similar. We want to win.”

Edwards credited former coach and director of football operations Bill Parcells with putting the Jets on solid ground and said the franchise has a “good structure. Over the last four years, they’ve won 38 football games. That’s almost 10 a year. That’s pretty good in the NFL.”

Edwards has not evaluated the Jets’ current coaches and said one of his first priorities is putting together a staff.

He joins Minnesota’s Dennis Green and Tampa Bay’s Tony Dungy as black head coaches. Edwards is only the second black head coach in the NFL’s last 42 hirings.

Owner Woody Johnson noted the significance of the hiring, but said, “That really didn’t come into play. We were simply looking for a coach who could get us where we want to go.”

Edwards played 10 seasons as an NFL defensive back and was involved in one of the most famous plays in New York football history--”The Miracle of the Meadowlands.” Playing for Philadelphia in 1978, he recovered a fumble by Giant quarterback Joe Pisarcik with 31 seconds remaining and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown to give the Eagles a 19-17 victory.

He was a scout and then the secondary coach for the Chiefs before joining Dungy in Tampa.

“Herman Edwards has successfully overcome every challenge he has ever faced, and I don’t think this one will be any different,” Tampa Bay General Manager Rich McKay said. “The Jets are very fortunate to be getting such a quality guy.”

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Rich Brooks, defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons since 1997, surprisingly resigned, saying he wanted to return to the West Coast.

Brooks was credited with molding the defense that helped the Falcons reach the Super Bowl two years ago. But the team is 9-23 since then, and the defense ranked 25th overall this season.

Falcon Coach Dan Reeves had no plans to make a change, saying he was happy with the work of the defensive staff.

“I’m kind of surprised,” Reeves said. “I know Rich has been going through some things and discussing some things in his own mind. He just told me today that he didn’t feel like he wanted to go on. He kind of wants to sit back and stay out of it for a while, then see what might become available down the road.”

The 59-year-old Brooks is a California native who played at Oregon State and was the head coach at Oregon for 18 years. He issued a statement saying he wanted to pursue a job on the West Coast.

“Since the Super Bowl season, I know things haven’t gone the way we all wanted,” Brooks said. “I’m sad to be leaving, in one sense, but I also look forward to seeing what future opportunities may materialize.”

He did not immediately return telephone messages left at his office and home.

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The Buffalo Bills received permission to interview Jacksonville defensive coordinator Dom Capers for their vacant head coaching job.

Jaguar spokesman Dan Edwards said the permission was granted Wednesday but he didn’t know when Capers planned to meet with Bill General Manager Tom Donahoe, currently attending the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

The Bills declined to comment on whether Capers was scheduled to meet with Donahoe.

In Houston, Texans’ owner Bob McNair said he had met with Capers on Thursday for a second time.

“The likelihood that we may be able to work something out with Dom has increased,” McNair told Houston television station KRIV.

Recently, McNair said he would not hire his coach until after the 2001 season but that the Texans would continue to interview candidates, although it is unclear if he since has changed his mind about waiting.

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The Carolina Panthers appointed Paul Boudreau offensive line coach, completing a circle with the Miami Dolphins.

Boudreau, 51, spent the last two seasons in the same job with the Dolphins. He replaces Tony Wise, who left Carolina at the end of last season to take Boudreau’s job in Miami.

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Ray Lewis and Tony Siragusa were fined a total of $17,500 by the NFL for hits on quarterbacks in games the Baltimore Ravens won to reach the Super Bowl.

The 340-pound Siragusa was fined $10,000 for slamming Oakland’s Rich Gannon to the ground in the first half of last week’s AFC championship game, won, 16-3, by Baltimore. Gannon bruised his collarbone and left the game. He returned in the third quarter but was ineffective.

Lewis, the NFL’s defensive player of the year, was fined $7,500 for hitting Tennessee’s Steve McNair in the chest in the Ravens’ 24-10 win the week before. McNair missed one series, then returned.

Neither hit brought a penalty on the field.

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Minnesota defensive tackle John Randle was fined an additional $5,000 for wearing face paint during the Vikings’ playoff victory against New Orleans on Jan. 7

On Wednesday, Randle was fined $7,500 for what the league called a public display of obscenity after a sack in the win over the Saints.

Randle, known for his crazy antics, has been a repeat offender of the face-paint rule.

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SUPER BOWL XXXV: BALTIMORE vs. N.Y. GIANTS

Jan. 28, 3:15 p.m. PST, TV: Channel 2