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NEW YORK -- Rex Ryan went from the hot seat to some job security. Well, at least through the next two seasons. The New York Jets signed the popular coach to a contract extension Thursday, removing the lame duck label from Ryan and keeping him with the franchise through the 2015 season -- and possibly beyond. The team announced the extension for Ryan, who had one year remaining on his contract, but provided no further details regarding the length of the deal or financial terms. ESPN, which first reported the deal, said it is a multiyear extension that contains incentives based on playoff victories. Ryan is 4-2 in the post-season with the Jets, including consecutive trips to the AFC championship game in his first two seasons, but New York hasnt made the playoffs in three years. "I know what we all want and were striving to get there," Ryan said in a statement issued by the team. "But its not about me. Were already into our off-season planning. There are a lot of areas where we can improve and we cant wait to get this thing rolling." Ryan was retained by owner Woody Johnson for next season after his job appeared in jeopardy. Expectations were extremely low outside the team entering this season, but Ryan led the Jets to a surprising 8-8 finish that had players and fans clamouring for Johnson and general manager John Idzik to keep the coach. Johnson, who announced after the season-ending win at Miami that Ryan would be back, rewarded him with the extension and removed the spectre of him heading into next season without a contract beyond this year. Ryan is 42-38 in the regular season in his five years with the Jets. "Im no different than any of our fans," Ryan said. "Im an ordinary guy thats been given an unbelievable opportunity. Ive said all along: Im glad to be a Jet. Im happy to be a Jet. Thats never changed." Despite the extension, Ryan wouldnt necessarily be guaranteed to return after next season or 2015 if the Jets continue to miss the post-season. For now, though, the idea that Ryan could be around for at least two more seasons could help recruit free agents, and the Jets are expected to be a major player this off-season since they will be comfortably under the salary cap. It might also help Ryan with settling his coaching staff, especially after losing special teams co-ordinator Ben Kotwica to Washington and linebackers coach Brian VanGorder to Notre Dame as the schools defensive co-ordinator. Several other assistant coaches, including defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, have expiring deals. Ryan faced an uncertain future last off-season after the Jets went 6-10, but Johnson retained the coach and fired general manager Mike Tannenbaum. The team hired Idzik as general manager, with Ryan already in place, and it had been speculated that Idzik could want to hire a coach of his choice this off-season. During a news conference to wrap up the season two days after finishing 8-8, the two gushed about their working relationship. "Rex and I have worked well since I got here and have the same vision for this football team," Idzik said in a statement. "As I have stated before, he is a phenomenal teacher and motivator. We are fortunate to have him as our head coach." The Jets opened 5-4 and as one of the NFLs most surprising teams led by rookie quarterback Geno Smith heading into their bye-week break, but they set an NFL record by alternating wins and losses through their first 10 games. A three-game skid sent New York from controlling its playoff fate to barely in the post-season picture. After the Jets were eliminated, there were serious questions as to whether Ryan would be retained. But there was an uncommonly overwhelming amount of support for Ryan with fans, players and ex-players taking to social media to state their case as to why he should stay. Ryan and Idzik will now look forward to shaping next seasons team with plenty of issues to consider, starting with the quarterback situation. The Jets will have to determine whether Smith has a chance to be their quarterback of the future, and whether theyll draft another player to compete with him or sign a proven veteran. New York will likely part ways with injured quarterback Mark Sanchez and wide receiver Santonio Holmes and possibly cornerback Antonio Cromartie to save money on the salary cap, and there are several potential key free agents, including right tackle Austin Howard, right guard Willie Colon and kicker Nick Folk. Ryan now gets a chance to build off the surprising performance of his team and try to make good on that Super Bowl title he boldly guaranteed when he was hired in 2009. "The front office, coaches, players, this entire organization -- were all in this together," Idzik said. "We are all governed by the same motives and that is to build a perennial winner here with the Jets." .com) - Klay Thompson is quickly proving he is worth every penny of his recently signed four-year contract extension. . Toronto (11-12) gave up leads in 10-8 and 11-4 losses to the Baltimore Orioles this week. It was never close Friday as the Boston Red Sox got to Mark Buehrle early en route to an 8-1 win. . The rest of the team was already on the field stretching before batting practice while Puig was getting dressed in the clubhouse. He had been slated to start in right field for the afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants, who beat the Dodgers 8-4. .com) - Kam Chancellor bobbed his head in celebration as he crossed the goal line on his game-clinching 90-yard interception return. . -- John Fox will coach the Denver Broncos from the sideline and not the booth upon his return Sunday five weeks after heart surgery.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Big swings by Josh Hamilton have been few and far between during his first season with the Angels. But the 2010 AL MVP showed Saturday night why they signed him to a $125 million, five-year contract last winter, homering with one out in the 10th inning to give Los Angeles a 6-5 victory over the Houston Astros. It was Hamiltons fifth career game-ending homer, including the one he hit July 6, and it made him the third player in franchise history to do it twice in one season along with Bobby Abreu and current teammate Mark Trumbo. "Everybody Ive talked to says players go through seasons like this, and this is the first season Ive ever gone through like this," said Hamilton, hitting only .227 in 115 games. "But the way you persevere through these things determines your character and makes you better in the long haul." Trumbo also homered and drove in two more runs with his first triple of the season, but it wasnt enough until Hamilton sent an 0-2 pitch from Josh Fields (1-3) to right-centre for his 18th homer and 59th RBI. "When I hit it, I wasnt quite sure if I got it because it wasnt absolutely flush. But when I was running and saw him look up, it was a good feeling," Hamilton said. "Moments like that make it a little easier to come back every day. It would be nice to do it all the time." Ernesto Frieri (1-4) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. L.J. Hoes greeted the right-hander with a line drive down the right-field line leading off the ninth and legged it to second. Umpire Eric Cooper called him safe despite the protestations of Angels manager Mike Scioscia and shortstop Erick Aybar, who appeared to tag Hoes on the back as he slid by. Cooper and the rest of his crew huddled and reversed the call to an out, resulting in a single for Hoes and leading to a lengthy and animated argument between Cooper and Astros manager Bo Porter. Frieri then struck out four of his next five batters. "At first, I didnt think he tagged me. But I watched the replay and it looked like he might have swiped my jersey," Hoes said. "Im definitely surprised that they overturned it. It would have been huge to lead off the ninth inning with a double." Porter was considerably more adamant about his displeasure over the ruling. "Ive never seen anything like that -- where the umpire is actually in position to make a call, makes the call and then agrees to get help on the call that hes in position to make," Porter said. "He said he may not have seen it as clearly as he wanted to see it. It was a big play." Brett Wallace homered and drove iin three runs for the Astros.dddddddddddd Philip Humber relieved Houston starter Dallas Keuchel in the fifth and pitched 2 2-3 innings, giving up the tying run in the seventh on Aybars two-out RBI single after Mike Trout walked and stole second. Angels right-hander Garrett Richards gave up five runs and a career-high 12 hits through six-plus innings in his 21st big league start, striking out seven and walking none. He was coming off his first complete game in the majors, a 2-1 loss at Yankee Stadium last Monday. Keuchel gave up four runs and eight hits in four-plus innings. The 25-year-old left-hander, who threw a career-high 116 pitches over 8 2-3 innings last Sunday in a 6-1 loss to Texas, was removed by Porter with a 5-4 lead after walking the first two batters in the fifth. The Astros pulled ahead 5-4 in this seesaw affair with three runs in the top half. Wallace tied it with his 10th homer, sending Richards 2-2 pitch into the left-field bullpen after a single by Robbie Grossman. Jose Altuve followed with a single and scored on a two-out double by designated hitter Chris Carter, who had a career-high five RBIs in Fridays series-opening 8-2 win. Trumbo, the only Angels player to appear in every game this season before Scioscia gave him Friday off, returned to the lineup with his .236 average and hit his 27th homer into the centre-field trees leading off the second. One inning later, the Angels cleanup hitter followed two-out singles by Collin Cowgill and Trout with an opposite-field triple to right, giving Trumbo 78 RBIs and tying Trout for the club lead. Aybar capped the rally with an RBI double that extended the margin to 4-2. Houston took a 2-1 edge in the third after Richards gave up singles to his first four batters, including infield hits by Jonathan Villar and Grossman and an RBI single by Wallace. Villar scored on Altuves double-play grounder. NOTES: Frieri became the 16th Angels pitcher to be credited with a victory this season, matching their total for each of the previous three years. The club record is 19 in 2000, when reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa led the club with 10 wins and no starter had more than eight. ... Fifteen players on the Astros 25-man roster have spent time in the minors this season. Porter has started at least four different players at every defensive position except catcher. ... Trout, playing in his 300th big league game, extended his on-base streak to 39 consecutive games -- second-longest in club history behind SS Orlando Cabreras 63-game stretch in 2006. ... The Angels and Astros entered with the two highest error totals in the AL, and the two highest team ERAs. ' ' '
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