The New York Jets hired Lou Holtz as its head coach in Feb. 1976.
Holtz went to New York after serving as head coach at North Carolina State.
The Jets’ head coaching search involved former Tennessee player and eventual Vols’ head coach Johnny Majors.
Majors interviewed with Jets’ general manager Al Ward, but was not offered the job.
“I have not been offered the head coaching job of the New York Jets,” Majors said in a statement released by a University of Pittsburgh spokesman in Feb. 1976 and published by the UPI. “I was contacted by the Jets 10 days ago and did meet once with their general manager, Al Ward, because I felt professionally it would be unwise not to at least talk with him.
“I’ve had professional teams contact with me in the past, which I did not pursue, and I have not pursued this contact. To the best of my knowledge, our discussion did not reach any serious level.”
Penn State head coach Joe Paterno was also mentioned as a candidate in the Jets’ head coaching search.
“I’m happy where I am, but if I were interested in a situation, that would be it,” Paterno said in Feb. 1976 per the UPI. “New York is my hometown.”
The UPI also mentioned other coaching candidates who talked with New York were Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer, who was not interested, Bengals’ assistant coach Bill Walsh, and Steelers’ defensive coordinator Bud Carson.
The Associated Press highlighted New York’s four finalists for the Jets’ head coaching vacancy: Holtz, Majors, San Jose State head coach Darryl Rogers and Montreal Alouettes head coach Marv Levy.
Holtz guided the Jets to a 3-10 record in 1976 and resigned with one game remaining in the regular-season. He would serve as head coach at Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina following his one season with New York.
1976 was the final season for quarterback Joe Namath with the Jets.
*Sources: Poughkeepsie Journal, Feb. 10, 1976; The Daily News, Feb. 10, 1976
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