Jets Add 4 New Assistants To Bowles' Staff
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Jets announced the hirings of four new assistant coaches Wednesday.
Jeremy Bates, who served as the team's quarterbacks coach under Herm Edwards in 2005, is returning in the same capacity.
The 40-year-old last coached with the Bears in 2012, guiding their quarterbacks. He was the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator in 2010 under head coach Pete Carroll, whom he also served under at Southern California the season prior. Bates also worked with new Jets offensive coordinator John Morton at USC -- Morton was the Trojans' offensive coordinator, Bates was their assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach.
Bates, the son of longtime NFL and college coach Jim Bates, has also worked on the staffs of the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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He replaces Kevin Patullo, one of five Jets assistants fired after last season.
During a 5-11 campaign, New York's passing game ranked 27th in the NFL in 2016. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick saw a big dropoff in production from the previous season, and second-year signal-caller Bryce Petty, who started four games, did little to erase doubts that he should be next year's starter.
The Jets also announced Wednesday they've hired Mick Lombardi as offensive assistant/assistant QB coach, Jason Vrable as an offensive assistant and Joe Giacobbe as assistant stength and conditioning coach.
Lombardi has spent the past four seasons on the 49ers staff. Vrable was the Bills' offensive quality coach from 2013-15. And Giacobbe has worked at St. Peter's and Rutgers.