Best of the Jets on WFAN: Live from training camp

**Craig Carton** (0:00)
Second year head coach of the New York Jets, Aaron Glenn coach, Craig and Chris, thanks for a few minutes of your time today. Yes, thank you, coach.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:05)
I appreciate you guys have me on.

**Craig Carton** (0:07)
So some of the practice today, a little choppy on offense. Let's give you a chance to give an overview of the Jets coming into this year as compared to last year, obviously new quarterback, Geno Smith.
Just give us your sense right now of this team coming in this year as opposed to your first year a year ago.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:24)
Yeah, as a head coach, and this is something I think that happens in every head coach is your first year, you come in and man, it is like you're going and you're trying to make sure that you get the right staff.
You're trying to make sure you look for players that you want to be a part of your team. And sometimes, man, you just miss. And when I say miss, like decisions are not the right decisions. I would say that.

**Craig Carton** (0:52)
And from a talent standpoint or a personality standpoint?

**Chris McMonigle** (0:55)
Well, just from a personality standpoint in general.
Listen, everybody in this league is talented. And that's just across the board. I mean, as far as decision as a head coach, like I didn't call the defense last year. You know, that was not a good decision by me. And I admit that. Because the reason I got this job is because of defense. So yeah, and that's okay. You know, I think as a head coach, the one thing that you have to be able to do is be able to pivot. And once you realize that there was a decision that you made that wasn't right decision, man, you have to really pivot. And a lot of guys are not afraid to do that because there's so much backlash that you're going to get from from outside this building that, man, you have to keep your head down. You have to make a decision. You have to make it. You have to keep going. So decision making is the first thing. And then when I look at, you know, decisions that I made this year, man, I was able to go through the whole shebang when it comes to, man, looking at every coach and interviewing every coach that really represented me and what I want to do.

**Craig Carton** (1:53)
So stop there. Did you, I don't want to put words in your mouth.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:55)
Yeah.

**Craig Carton** (1:56)
Did you, Robert Salas spoken about this as well.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:59)
Yeah.

**Craig Carton** (1:59)
Did you feel somehow disconnected on game day because you're on the sideline, but you weren't calling the defense?

**Chris McMonigle** (2:07)
I don't want to say disconnected, you know, because the team and I think every Wilkes and Tanner are doing everything they can to make sure they understand the vision that I was trying to create. But Wilkes' defense wasn't my defense and that's OK. You know, my defense and the defense that works in this league.
But it was just a situation where I felt like, man, I want to do more.

**Craig Carton** (2:30)
Sure.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:31)
And that was really it for the most part. And to be able to do that, I knew on the flip side that offensively, man, I needed somebody that had a lot of experience. And the thing is that everybody talks about outside of this. I mean, I went to fire and all that. Some of these guys, man, that was mutual. As far as this is what I know I want to do. I still want you here, but I want to make sure I do this. I want to make sure I go find somebody that's experienced and things like that. So and I think everything worked out exactly where I need to work out. And listen, I love the staff that I have. They all represent who I am or what I want to do.
I mean, I think these two weeks of camp have been outstanding for us.

**Chris McMonigle** (3:08)
So that transition, there's also a balance in which we saw your first year, right? There's issues at the end of half situations, there's issues head coaching. And maybe for camp, it feels like it's an easier transition. But if you thought about that process and how you're going to be able to do both, be that head coach and be that defensive coordinator or defensive play caller, should I say. And now this is your second year, but it's your first year of doing that. So now you've added another first year coach kind of element to your season coming up.