Tom Moore Sticking Around To Help Schottenheimer, Jets' Offense
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — Rex Ryan hoped Tom Moore would stay a while after the offensive guru got to the Jets' facility last week.
Well, it turns out Gang Green will be seeing lots more of Moore.
Ryan announced Wednesday that the former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator will work as a consultant from the team's facility for the rest of this season after operating mostly from his home in South Carolina.
"I'm retired, but I'm a football junkie," Moore said Wednesday. "I'm a lifer."
"The last part of the year," he added, "gets exciting."
The 73-year-old coach retired after last season with the Colts, but was hired in the offseason to help the Jets' offense and coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. He'll still be a consultant with the Jets, just a bit more hands on.
"Mega-consultant I think is the title we gave him," Ryan joked.
Moore, who spent training camp with the Jets, was at the team's facility last week in advance of New York's 34-19 win at Washington. Ryan said he was pushing to have the coach stick around as the team makes a late-season playoff push.
"I got nothing else to do. Christmas shopping is all done," said Moore. "It's fun being where the action is, if you want to know the truth."
"We wanted him around the whole year all along," Ryan said, "but I also recognized the man is retired and asking him to stay the entire season was not going to be fair to him and his wife."
That didn't stop Ryan from seeing if Moore would be interested, though. Moore checked in with his wife, Emily, and he'll be staying in a hotel in New Jersey for the much-shorter commute to the facility until the season ends.
"He's here, everything's OK at home, and Tom was like, 'Why not? Let's go for it,'" Ryan said.
Moore would previously evaluate Jets game film, do advance scouting on opponents, read emails, send his observations by fax and have telephone conversations with Ryan, Schottenheimer and other coaches and players.
"My involvement is strictly one of observing," Moore said. "Brian runs the show. Brian's the coordinator and has done, and is doing, in my opinion, a tremendous job."
Moore repeated a few times that he felt it was "a privilege" to be working with the Jets, and Ryan said his presence is by no means an indicator that the organization is concerned about the job Schottenheimer has done.
New York is ranked 26th in overall offense.
"The perception is completely false if that's it," Ryan said. "I have great confidence in Brian and this is just a thing that helps. You get a guy with this kind of experience, how can it not help your football team?"
Schottenheimer has said he has enjoyed having Moore's feedback, and the players also think his presence is invaluable.
"I love it," quarterback Mark Sanchez said. "I think it's great for us because he can help the receivers, tight ends and he's not just glued to my hip. It's not just for the quarterback or anybody like that. It's for everybody, and he's not shy about helping guys when they need it."
Ryan, Schottenheimer and several players like Moore's always-positive nature in his evaluations, something that's rare in such a competitive business as professional football.
"I can't stand negativity," Moore said. "It drives me crazy. I've always been positive and will always be positive. When you've lived the dream like I've lived for 73 years, nothing can be negative."
What do you make of Moore joining the Jets for the rest of the season? Sound off in the comments below...
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