TOWSON, Md. -- Jon Gruden, Raheem Morris, Tony Sparano, Steve Spagnuolo and Jim O'Neill. Now if asked, Jim O'Neill might be the name that does not belong. But like O'Neill, all four head coaches listed were once NFL Quality-Control coaches at some point in their careers.

A former defensive lineman for the Tigers, O'Neill has been slowly moving up the coaching ranks since he graduated in 2001. He had spent time at Pennsylvania, Albany, Northwestern and a three year stint at Eastern Michigan as the Secondary Coach. When Rob Ambrose accepted the job as the Tigers' Head Coach, Jim O'Neill was on his short list of coaches to add to he staff.

Days and maybe even hours before O'Neill was set to announce his return to his alma mater, he received an offer he could not refuse. The New York Jets had just made a coaching change, bringing in Rex Ryan as their new head coach. One phone call later and suddenly O'Neill was headed to the National Football League.

"In the interview process I talk to all the coaches about Towson being a place where good, hard work will get noticed," said Ambrose. "A place where as a coach you can grow and move up from. Jimmy is a talented young coach and when we spoke about his career I knew I was hiring a talented young guy who would move up the ranks. I just didn't expect it after two weeks."

Joining Joe Vitt as the only two former Tiger football players as coaches currently in the NFL, O'Neill seems to have an excellent career in coaching waiting for him. Whether he will join the ranks of the greats like John Madden, Don Shula and Bill Cowher, who were all head coaches before they were 35, only time will tell. But for now, the New York Jets definitely have one of Towson's finest waiting in the wings.