NEW YORK (AP) – Baltimore Ravens assistant Donnie Henderson has emerged as the leading candidate to become the New York Jets’ defensive coordinator.

Coach Herman Edwards has gone nearly a month searching for someone to replace Ted Cottrell, who was fired just after the regular season ended.

Edwards interviewed many other candidates, and several went to other teams.

Though Henderson has never been a coordinator, he has experience coaching young players and rebuilding a defense, something the Jets will do in the offseason. Henderson has coached the defensive backs for the Ravens since 1999, and went through the process there.

Edwards said Friday he had not made up his mind, he talked glowingly about Henderson and the job he has done with the Ravens.

“He has done some things that other guys maybe hadn’t done,” Edwards said. “But that’s why I brought him in here, because I knew that he had the ability to be a coordinator.”

Of those Edwards talked to, Gregg Williams became defensive coordinator with the Washington Redskins, Gunther Cunningham went to the Chiefs, college assistant Bo Pelini went to Oklahoma and Ron Rivera went to the Bears.

AP-ES-01-25-04 1824EST