1976 New York Jets season

The 1976 New York Jets season was the seventeenth season for the team and the seventh in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 3–11 record from 1975 under new head coach Lou Holtz. The Jets again finished with a record of 3–11, which combined with the resignation of Holtz with one game left in the season to become coach at the University of Arkansas, prompted John Facenda to say about the Jets during the NFL Films highlight film for that season “Perhaps the best thing to say about the 1976 New York Jets season is that it’s over”.

The only teams that the Jets defeated in 1976 were the 2–12 Buffalo Bills (twice) and the 0–14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Jets were 0–9 vs. teams with a winning record.

The 1976 season was also the twelfth and final year with the Jets for quarterback Joe Namath.

Leon Hess – Owner Al Ward – General manager Mike Holovak – Director of player personnel Carroll Huntress – Scout Connie Nicholas – Scout Head coaches

Lou Holtz – Head coach (first 13 games) Mike Holovak – Interim head coach (final game) Offensive coaches

Dan Henning – Wide receivers Joe Gardi – Tight ends/special teams Bob Fry – Offensive line | | | Defensive coaches Walt Michaels – Defensive coordinator |

35 Steve Davis 21 Clark Gaines 45 Louie Giammona 38 Bob Gresham Wide receivers (WR)

83 Jerome Barkum 84 Clint Haslerig 82 David Knight 89 Lou Piccone 80 Howard Satterwhite Tight ends (TE)

88 Rich Caster 86 Richard Osborne | | Offensive linemen (OL) 67 Darrell Austin G/C 65 Joe Fields C 75 Winston Hill T 71 Al Krevis T 78 Garry Puetz G/T 66 Randy Rasmussen G 61 John Roman T 72 Robert Woods T Defensive linemen (DL)

77 Carl Barzilauskas DT

74 Larry Faulk DT 85 Ed Galigher DT 81 Richard Neal DE 76 Lawrence Pillers DE | | Linebackers (LB) 51 Greg Buttle OLB 55 John Ebersole MLB 52 Mike Hennigan OLB 59 Bob Martin OLB 56 Larry Keller OLB 54 Steve Poole MLB Defensive backs (DB)

47 Tommy Marvaso SS 22 Burgess Owens FS 46 Rich Sowells CB 23 Shafer Suggs CB 38 Ed Taylor CB 27 Phil Wise SS Special teams (ST)

 3 Duane Carrell P  5 Pat Leahy K | | Reserve

-- Don Coleman LB (IR) -- Joe Davis G (IR) -- Steve King T (IR) -- Mark Lomas DE (IR) 49 Ed Marinaro RB (IR) 50 Wayne Mulligan C (IR) 87 Billy Newsome DE (IR) 53 Carl Russ LB (IR) -- Clarence Sanders LB (PUP) 48 Ken Schroy S (IR) Rookies in italics |

• The television series Barney Miller referenced the game between the Buccaneers playing in New York versus the Jets, in the third-season episode “The Recluse”, in which Yemana (Jack Soo) had tickets to the Jets/Tampa Bay game. When asked “Why?’, his response, “They were on sale”. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished 0–14 the same season.

• 1976 statistics