On first glance, Rex Ryan and Mike Westhoff might not seem like they have much in common, but their love of football has driven them to be fast friends in their time together as Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator respectively.

Ben Shipgel writes for the New York Times that the two have hit it off since Ryan’s arrival in New York in a great read in today’s paper.

“It didn’t take long to realize that our philosophies and ideologies were really pretty similar,” Westhoff said.

Ryan’s aggressive, attacking defensive scheme matched Westhoff’s style. They are sticklers for fundamentals, never straying from basic principles, but always willing to concoct and conceive.

“That’s one of the reasons why Rex admires Westy so much,” Mike Pettine, the defensive coordinator, said. “He’s not a cookie-cutter coach. He’s not going to do something one way just because this is what everybody else does.”

Brian Bassett, theJetsBlog.com

We’re going to miss Westhoff when he retires.  Always knowing that the Jets had a top-notch special teams unit as a given was fantastic, and the Jets were lucky to hold onto him for as long as they have.  The hope is that Kotwica can step in, and maybe they’ll keep Westhoff on in a “consultative” role … but the run we’ve had with special teams has been a big part of why the Jets have been able to stay competitive, no matter what the offense or defense might or might not be doing.