Special Teams Coach
"A proven coach at all levels, Gardi (pronounced GAR-dee) is responsible for special teams and also works with linebackers. He joined the Jets staff in 1976 after serving as head coach of the Portland Thunder in the World Football League for three games before that league folded.
Gardi began his coaching career at Oratory Prep in Summit, New Jersey where he produced two winning seasons in three years for a school that was 0-37 in the five years prior to his arrival. He became head coach at Roselle Park (NJ) High School in 1967. That school had not had a winning record in 10 years. Gardi put together a pair of winning campaigns in three years, including an undefeated state championship team in 1969. He was tabbed the 'Miracle Worker' by New Jersey sportswriters.
He returned to his alma mater, Maryland, as freshman coach in 1970 and was a varsity assistant from 1971-74. He joined the Philadelphia Bell of the WFL the following season as coach of special teams and running backs. Gardi was named interim head coach for the Bell in the middle of the 1975 season. He defeated Portland in his only game and was chosen head coach of the Thunder a week later.
Gardi was co-captain and named 'unsung hero' for Maryland in 1959. He signed as a free agent with Washington, then with Buffalo but failed to make either club. Gardi was born in Newark, New Jersey and is a native of Harrison, New Jersey, where he was an all-state tackle at Harrison High School in 1955."
-1977 New York Jets Media Guide
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
1977 Profile: Bob Fry
Offensive Line Coach
"One of three assistant coaches retained by new head coach Walt Michaels, Fry has a background of 24 consecutive seasons in the NFL either as a player, administrator or coach.
He coached the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line under head coach Chuck Noll before coming to the Jets in 1974. The Steelers running attack established a club record [for yardage] under Fry in 1972. Last season, the Jets had the third best rushing total in the club's history.
Bob played for the Rams from 1953 through 1959 with two years out for a military hitch. He was an original member of the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 through 1964.
He began his administrative career with Atlanta as a scout in 1965 and was assistant player personnel director and offensive line coach there in 1967 and 1968. He joined the Steelers in 1969.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Bob was a star tackle under Bear Bryant at Kentucky in the early 1950s."
-1977 New York Jets Media Guide
"One of three assistant coaches retained by new head coach Walt Michaels, Fry has a background of 24 consecutive seasons in the NFL either as a player, administrator or coach.
He coached the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line under head coach Chuck Noll before coming to the Jets in 1974. The Steelers running attack established a club record [for yardage] under Fry in 1972. Last season, the Jets had the third best rushing total in the club's history.
Bob played for the Rams from 1953 through 1959 with two years out for a military hitch. He was an original member of the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 through 1964.
He began his administrative career with Atlanta as a scout in 1965 and was assistant player personnel director and offensive line coach there in 1967 and 1968. He joined the Steelers in 1969.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Bob was a star tackle under Bear Bryant at Kentucky in the early 1950s."
-1977 New York Jets Media Guide
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
1977 Profile: Walt Michaels
Head Coach
"Probably the only man in NFL history elected head coach by his players. When general manager Al Ward called players in for opinions on a replacement for escapee Lou Holtz, the leading vote-getter was Michaels ... in a landslide.
Michaels gets high marks for the excellent work he did for 10 years while masterminding the Jet defense. The fifth head coach the Jets have had in the past three years, he'll need luck to serve the full three years of his contract. He faces a massive rebuilding job and has the added problem of handling a club that has had serious racial problems in recent years.
Born in Swoyersville, Pennsylvania, as a player he was four times an All-Pro linebacker with the Browns, and also played for the Packers. His brother Lou was a place kicker and defensive end with the Steelers and Colts."
-Rich Kucner, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1977 Edition
"'No matter where you go, you may think you've come a long way, but that's not always true,' said Walt Michaels when he was named the eighth head coach in the franchise's history last January. 'There's a lot to be done here. There's a lot of hard work involved. That's pretty basic.'
That's Walt Michaels, the son of a Pennsylvania coal miner, who has come a log way through hard work ... a strong, no-nonsense leader who deals in basics, whether it's developing an NFL all-rookie linebacker like Greg Buttle or talking to equipment manager Bill Hampton, one of Michaels' closest friends.
The 47-year-old Michaels is the first Jets head coach to come up through the ranks, first making his niche as an All-Pro linebacker with the Cleveland Browns and then as defensive coordinator with the Jets.
'It was a strange selection of a head coach,' said general manager Al Ward. 'It was as much as an election as a selection. It seems that everyone we talked to- people around the league, fans, media- all felt that Walt was our best choice. He knows the club, knows it needs, strengths and weaknesses and has the respect of everyone connected with the organization.'
Most importantly, Michaels has the support of his players.
Veteran guard Randy Rasmussen, who has played under three head coaches and two interim head coaches with the Jets, summarized much of his teammates' feelings: 'The big thing is that he was a factor in us winning the Super Bowl, and I think he will have the respect of every player on this team. I feel more confident with him being our coach. You know you stand with Walt Michaels.'
Michaels succeeds Lou Holtz, who resigned after 13 games in his first season. Despite last year's 3-11 record, Michaels feels that progress was made.
'If we can continue with the things we started last year, we can build from there,' he said. ' ... We started a program with some young players (14 rookies made the Jet squad last year) ... I think we're on a positive approach, a good path. I don't think we wasted a year. But all I can promise about the team is that it will be mentally and physically prepared to play football.'
One of Michaels' first priorities will be reinstalling the flexible passing system that Weeb Ewbank used with John Unitas and with Joe Namath in New York.
Defense, however, is where Michaels became known as both a player and coach. He enjoyed a distinguished career with the Browns in which he played on two NFL championship teams and five division titlists.
Michaels was drafted seventh by Cleveland in 1951 following his collegiate days at Washington & Lee, where he played fullback, guard and linebacker and earned a B.A. in psychology and education. (Michaels was inducted into the Commonwealth of Virginia Sports Hall of Fame this year.)
The Browns traded Michaels that same year to Green Bay for Dan Orlich and then reacquired him in 1952 for Richard Logan, Elmer Costa and Forrest Gregg. Michaels became a starting linebacker and made the Pro Bowl four straight years from 1957-60.
Michaels retired after the 1961 season and joined the Oakland Raiders as defensive line coach for a year before coming to the Jets in 1963 in a similar position under Ewbank.
Ewbank put together an outstanding four-man staff in his first year with the Jets. Joining Michaels were Chuck Knox, now head coach at Los Angeles; Clive Rush, who later became head coach of the Boston Patriots; and J.D. Donaldson, presently offensive backfield coach at Cincinnati.
For 10 years Michaels masterminded the growth of the Jets' defense, which became one of the most respected in the old AFL and AFC. Under his guidance, such players as Gerry Philbin, John Elliott, Verlon Biggs, Al Atkinson, Larry Grantham and Ralph Baker were developed.
Last season, when Michaels returned to New York after three years (1973-75) as defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, the weakest point of the Jets was linebacking. At the end of the year, the strongest unit was the linebacking despite the fact that three of the starters were rookies, and only one, Greg Buttle, was a high draft choice.
When Michaels first joined the Jets, he came out of retirement for the 1963 opener at Boston when the squad's linebacking corps was decimated by injuries. He played the entire game after not practicing for two years. Ironically, the late George Young, a teammate of Michaels in Cleveland, was the umpire for that game.
'George kept telling me, 'Walt, I'm going to call holding on you if you don't stop grabbing that tight end,'' Michaels recalled, 'And I kept yelling back, 'George, it only LOOKS like I'm holding.''
Michaels devoted all his energy to coaching after his one-game comeback. In 1967 he took over the secondary and linebackers and helped mold the Jets' 1968 defense into the number-one unit in the AFL in rushing and total defense. Again in 1970, the unit ranked on top in total defense as well as first against the rush and pass in the AFC.
Michaels finest hour came in Super Bowl III. Although the Jets' defense received little of the glamor in the stunning 16-7 upset victory, Michaels' men played a significant role by holding Baltimore scoreless until less than four minutes remained. The often-maligned secondary of four free agents intercepted four Colt passes.
The game created an unusual situation for Walt's mother, Mary, who was chosen NFL Mother of the Year in 1966. On the Baltimore side of the field was Walt's brother, Lou, a standout place kicker who played in the NFL from 1958-69 after earning All-America honors as a tackle at Kentucky. Mrs. Michaels' picture along with one of the Michaels' family appears in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Michaels remained with the Jets until 1973 when, with Charlie Winner designated as the next head coach, he left to join the Philadelphia Eagles. Two of the assistant coaches Michaels hired for the Jets' staff this season, John Idzik and John Mazur, were also aides with the Eagles at that time.
When Lou Holtz was selected as the Jets' head coach last year, Al Ward strongly recommended that Michaels be brought back as defensive coordinator, and Holtz made Michaels his first appointee.
Michaels is another in a line of Paul Brown products to become a head coach in the pros. Presently there are four others: Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Paul Wiggin and Bill Johnson.
The son of a Polish immigrant, Michaels was born October 16, 1929 in Swoyersville, Pennsylvania."
-1977 New York Jets Media Guide
"Probably the only man in NFL history elected head coach by his players. When general manager Al Ward called players in for opinions on a replacement for escapee Lou Holtz, the leading vote-getter was Michaels ... in a landslide.
Michaels gets high marks for the excellent work he did for 10 years while masterminding the Jet defense. The fifth head coach the Jets have had in the past three years, he'll need luck to serve the full three years of his contract. He faces a massive rebuilding job and has the added problem of handling a club that has had serious racial problems in recent years.
Born in Swoyersville, Pennsylvania, as a player he was four times an All-Pro linebacker with the Browns, and also played for the Packers. His brother Lou was a place kicker and defensive end with the Steelers and Colts."
-Rich Kucner, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1977 Edition
"'No matter where you go, you may think you've come a long way, but that's not always true,' said Walt Michaels when he was named the eighth head coach in the franchise's history last January. 'There's a lot to be done here. There's a lot of hard work involved. That's pretty basic.'
That's Walt Michaels, the son of a Pennsylvania coal miner, who has come a log way through hard work ... a strong, no-nonsense leader who deals in basics, whether it's developing an NFL all-rookie linebacker like Greg Buttle or talking to equipment manager Bill Hampton, one of Michaels' closest friends.
The 47-year-old Michaels is the first Jets head coach to come up through the ranks, first making his niche as an All-Pro linebacker with the Cleveland Browns and then as defensive coordinator with the Jets.
'It was a strange selection of a head coach,' said general manager Al Ward. 'It was as much as an election as a selection. It seems that everyone we talked to- people around the league, fans, media- all felt that Walt was our best choice. He knows the club, knows it needs, strengths and weaknesses and has the respect of everyone connected with the organization.'
Most importantly, Michaels has the support of his players.
Veteran guard Randy Rasmussen, who has played under three head coaches and two interim head coaches with the Jets, summarized much of his teammates' feelings: 'The big thing is that he was a factor in us winning the Super Bowl, and I think he will have the respect of every player on this team. I feel more confident with him being our coach. You know you stand with Walt Michaels.'
Michaels succeeds Lou Holtz, who resigned after 13 games in his first season. Despite last year's 3-11 record, Michaels feels that progress was made.
'If we can continue with the things we started last year, we can build from there,' he said. ' ... We started a program with some young players (14 rookies made the Jet squad last year) ... I think we're on a positive approach, a good path. I don't think we wasted a year. But all I can promise about the team is that it will be mentally and physically prepared to play football.'
One of Michaels' first priorities will be reinstalling the flexible passing system that Weeb Ewbank used with John Unitas and with Joe Namath in New York.
Defense, however, is where Michaels became known as both a player and coach. He enjoyed a distinguished career with the Browns in which he played on two NFL championship teams and five division titlists.
Michaels was drafted seventh by Cleveland in 1951 following his collegiate days at Washington & Lee, where he played fullback, guard and linebacker and earned a B.A. in psychology and education. (Michaels was inducted into the Commonwealth of Virginia Sports Hall of Fame this year.)
The Browns traded Michaels that same year to Green Bay for Dan Orlich and then reacquired him in 1952 for Richard Logan, Elmer Costa and Forrest Gregg. Michaels became a starting linebacker and made the Pro Bowl four straight years from 1957-60.
Michaels retired after the 1961 season and joined the Oakland Raiders as defensive line coach for a year before coming to the Jets in 1963 in a similar position under Ewbank.
Ewbank put together an outstanding four-man staff in his first year with the Jets. Joining Michaels were Chuck Knox, now head coach at Los Angeles; Clive Rush, who later became head coach of the Boston Patriots; and J.D. Donaldson, presently offensive backfield coach at Cincinnati.
For 10 years Michaels masterminded the growth of the Jets' defense, which became one of the most respected in the old AFL and AFC. Under his guidance, such players as Gerry Philbin, John Elliott, Verlon Biggs, Al Atkinson, Larry Grantham and Ralph Baker were developed.
Last season, when Michaels returned to New York after three years (1973-75) as defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, the weakest point of the Jets was linebacking. At the end of the year, the strongest unit was the linebacking despite the fact that three of the starters were rookies, and only one, Greg Buttle, was a high draft choice.
When Michaels first joined the Jets, he came out of retirement for the 1963 opener at Boston when the squad's linebacking corps was decimated by injuries. He played the entire game after not practicing for two years. Ironically, the late George Young, a teammate of Michaels in Cleveland, was the umpire for that game.
'George kept telling me, 'Walt, I'm going to call holding on you if you don't stop grabbing that tight end,'' Michaels recalled, 'And I kept yelling back, 'George, it only LOOKS like I'm holding.''
Michaels devoted all his energy to coaching after his one-game comeback. In 1967 he took over the secondary and linebackers and helped mold the Jets' 1968 defense into the number-one unit in the AFL in rushing and total defense. Again in 1970, the unit ranked on top in total defense as well as first against the rush and pass in the AFC.
Michaels finest hour came in Super Bowl III. Although the Jets' defense received little of the glamor in the stunning 16-7 upset victory, Michaels' men played a significant role by holding Baltimore scoreless until less than four minutes remained. The often-maligned secondary of four free agents intercepted four Colt passes.
The game created an unusual situation for Walt's mother, Mary, who was chosen NFL Mother of the Year in 1966. On the Baltimore side of the field was Walt's brother, Lou, a standout place kicker who played in the NFL from 1958-69 after earning All-America honors as a tackle at Kentucky. Mrs. Michaels' picture along with one of the Michaels' family appears in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Michaels remained with the Jets until 1973 when, with Charlie Winner designated as the next head coach, he left to join the Philadelphia Eagles. Two of the assistant coaches Michaels hired for the Jets' staff this season, John Idzik and John Mazur, were also aides with the Eagles at that time.
When Lou Holtz was selected as the Jets' head coach last year, Al Ward strongly recommended that Michaels be brought back as defensive coordinator, and Holtz made Michaels his first appointee.
Michaels is another in a line of Paul Brown products to become a head coach in the pros. Presently there are four others: Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Paul Wiggin and Bill Johnson.
The son of a Polish immigrant, Michaels was born October 16, 1929 in Swoyersville, Pennsylvania."
-1977 New York Jets Media Guide
Thursday, April 6, 2017
1977 Profile: Steve Gutman
ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER AND SECRETARY
"Steve Gutman was appointed to the newly created position of administrative manager on April 1 and also assumed the duties of secretary of the club. In this role, he oversees the Jets' fiscal and marketing operations.
Prior to joining the Jets, Gutman was executive director of the Westchester County Guidance Center of New Rochelle. He has had extensive experience as a financial consultant in areas of security, research sales, underwriting, investment banking, and management.
Gutman received both a B.S. in accounting and a Masters in business administration from New York University. He was born January 24, 1935 in New York City."
-1977 New York Jets Media Guide
"Steve Gutman was appointed to the newly created position of administrative manager on April 1 and also assumed the duties of secretary of the club. In this role, he oversees the Jets' fiscal and marketing operations.
Prior to joining the Jets, Gutman was executive director of the Westchester County Guidance Center of New Rochelle. He has had extensive experience as a financial consultant in areas of security, research sales, underwriting, investment banking, and management.
Gutman received both a B.S. in accounting and a Masters in business administration from New York University. He was born January 24, 1935 in New York City."
-1977 New York Jets Media Guide
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