Rex Ryan says he's convinced Jets will hire him as next coach

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Former New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, scheduled to interview Tuesday for the team's head coaching vacancy, is convinced he will land the job.

If it happens, he says he will put an end to the Aaron Rodgers "country club."

Ryan, appearing Monday morning on ESPN New York radio, ripped the future Hall of Famer for skipping the team's mandatory minicamp last June to take a vacation to Egypt. He also criticized the organization's "abysmal" leadership for condoning it.

"Clearly, when you have a guy that doesn't show up for mandatory minicamp -- and, by the way, he's your quarterback, coming off an injury -- I think that's an absolutely ridiculous message you send to the team," Ryan said during a spot on the "DiPietro & Rothenberg Show."

"If he comes back, things would be different. If he's back, it ain't gonna be the country club, show up whenever the hell you want to show up. That ain't gonna happen. I'll just leave it at that," Ryan said.

Rodgers, who blamed his absence on a scheduling mix-up, was fined approximately $100,000 by the Jets for missing the minicamp. Then-coach Robert Saleh called it an unexcused absence, though he wasn't particularly critical of the four-time MVP. Rodgers, 41, is undecided on his future, saying he will take time to consider it.

Ryan, who has been lobbying for the Jets' job, will meet with team brass in Palm Beach, Florida, where owner Woody Johnson has a home. The meeting will occur nearly 16 years to the day of his first interview with the team, when he went from Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator to Jets head coach in January 2009.

He went 46-50 in six seasons, leading the Jets to the playoffs and back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 2009 and 2010 -- the franchise's last postseason appearances. He was fired by Johnson after going 4-12 in 2014, but he has maintained a relationship with the owner.

The team already has interviewed former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel and former Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera. The Jets also have submitted interview requests for at least four offensive coordinators -- Arthur Smith ( Pittsburgh Steelers), Bobby Slowik ( Houston Texans), Joe Brady ( Buffalo Bills) and Matt Nagy ( Kansas City Chiefs), according to reports. The Jets are also expected to submit requests for at least three defensive coordinators -- Aaron Glenn ( Detroit Lions), Vance Joseph ( Denver Broncos) and Brian Flores ( Minnesota Vikings) -- and two quarterback coaches -- Josh McCown (Vikings) and Brian Griese ( San Francisco 49ers -- sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The ever-confident Ryan, now an ESPN analyst, expects to land the position.

"Oh, 100 percent, absolutely, I do," he said. "The reason I think I'm going to get it is because I'm the best guy for it. It ain't close. The thing you have to do is, you have to connect with your football team, you have to connect with your fan base. The way they play, that's the most important thing.

"It's not just the X's and O's and all that. This Ben Johnson, I love him, I absolutely love him, but I'm a better candidate for this job than he would be."

The Lions' offensive coordinator is one of the hottest candidates on the market, but he's not expected to interview with the Jets, sources said.

Ryan said the current Jets are "not short on talent." He blamed their 5-12 season on a "lack of organizational leadership," pointing to the coaching staff. Saleh was fired in October, followed by general manager Joe Douglas in November.