It’s funny how perceptions can change. Jets defensive coordinator Mike Nolan has seen both ends of the spectrum, from glowing to glum, from being called a genius with the Giants in the mid-90s to rotten with the Redskins last year. Through it all, the youngish 41-year-old has stayed grounded in the reality he knows best – coaching his defense on the field, and ignoring how he’s perceived off it.
Nolan was hailed as one of the NFL’s hot, young coaching minds when, as a first-time defensive coordinator in 1994, his Giants allowed an NFL-low 205 points. But this offseason he was all but run out of Washington after the Redskins’ had the second-worst defense in football. Now, back in New York with the Jets, Nolan said he’s more worried about getting Gang Green’s defense to perform than getting recognition or redemption.
“The media puts the labels on you. Sometimes that’s a real good thing; sometimes it can kill you. Seven years ago I was ‘Boy Wonder’ in New York, and last year I was…,” Nolan said, letting the sentence trail off censoring his words. “I don’t know what you’d call it – just the opposite. I certainly didn’t think I was Boy Wonder then, and I certainly didn’t think I was as bad last year (as people said).”
Last season, with highly-paid tackles Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson combining for just 76 tackles, Washington allowed 356.6 yards per game, more than any team save only expansion Cleveland.
Perceptions? That hands-on owner Daniel Snyder forced Nolan and head coach Norv Turner to hire Bill Arnsparger as a “defensive consultant.” Reality? Nolan, who was Arnsparger’s LB coach at LSU in 1986, called his mentor to ask for help.
After giving up a sieve-like 26.7 ppg in their first dozen games, Washington’s defense allowed just 14 in their last six, including two playoffs tilts. But Nolan met with Snyder after the season, and they parted ways. After Bill Belichick bolted for New England, the Jets wasted no time snapping Nolan up on Feb. 2. And while Nolan declined to rip Snyder, he says the experience drives him, just as being hired by the Jets has rejuvenated him.
“We won’t get into (Washington). I’m in New York now. I don’t need to throw any blows, burn too many bridges,” Nolan said. “I think any time you get a change, it rejuvenates you. (But) you also don’t leave behind all the scars from what’s occurred in the past. In some cases, you need to let ’em go, and in some cases you need to hang on to ’em. That’s the toughest decision; which ones are teaching you something and which ones are keeping you back.
“I’m probably more focused now than I’ve ever been, maybe partly because of what happened last year. Although I didn’t think I lacked focus. But my No. 1 goal is to be the No. 1 defense in the league and help this team win.”
To that end, he isn’t trying to make any statements by forcing his personality or style on the defense. He understands the 3-4 defense Belichick built worked well, and wants to provide both continuity and the flexibility to work with the personnel on hand.
“A lot of the foundation is the same. We’ll continue to get the best players involved,” Nolan said. “I think it’s a mistake for any coach to say ‘I was in this place and this is what I did, and boy it worked.’ Buddy Ryan’s Bear defenses worked great in Chicago, it worked pretty good in Philadelphia. But there’s a lot of other guys doing it around the league that don’t have the ’86 Bears, and it doesn’t work as well.”
