Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) The New York Jets met with assistants Bill Callahan and Brian Schottenheimer on Friday for the team's coaching vacancy, kicking off the first round of interviews as they seek a replacement for the fired Eric Mangini.

New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will interview with the Jets on Saturday. He had meetings about the Cleveland and Detroit openings on Thursday, and will also talk to Denver on Saturday.

The Jets had no other interviews scheduled as of Friday night, and it appeared recently fired Broncos coach Mike Shanahan and former NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer were not on the team's immediate radar.

Shanahan told the NFL Network during an interview scheduled to air this weekend on "NFL GameDay Morning" that he plans to wait two weeks before speaking with another team and for the right situation before returning to coaching.

The Jets have received permission to speak with Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, but won't be able to meet with him until the Ravens' season is over or during the bye before the Super Bowl, if they make it.

The Ravens play at Miami in the playoffs on Sunday.

Similarly, the Jets wouldn't be allowed to offer Spagnuolo a job until the Giants' season ends. The NFC's top-seeded team has a first-round bye in the playoffs. Spagnuolo, 49, has become a popular candidate because of the Giants' success on defense the last two seasons.

Jets owner Woody Johnson has made it clear he prefers to keep football, business and coaching duties separate, so a candidate wanting complete control would be less likely to be hired. Any coach the Jets hire would have to fit into that structure, which might have a major effect on the team's interest in Shanahan.

Shanahan was fired by the Broncos on Tuesday after going 146-91 over 14 seasons, including the playoffs, and was also the team's executive vice president of football operations.

Callahan joined Mangini's staff last offseason after he was fired as coach at Nebraska. He was 27-22 in four seasons with the Cornhuskers, and went 17-18 in two seasons with the Raiders. He led Oakland to the Super Bowl in 2003, becoming the fourth rookie head coach in NFL history to do so, eventually losing to Tampa Bay.

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