Former Jets tight end Anthony Becht is now a broadcaster, a coach and the father of a college QB

When former Jets tight end Anthony Becht retired after the 2011 season, he decided to take a year off to see what he should do next.

Coaching? Broadcasting?

Eventually, Becht landed on an answer.

Both.

Becht is going into his third season as the Jets’ radio analyst on Q104.3-FM. He’s also the head coach of the Orlando Storm in the United Football League, which plays its games from March to June.

Being a spring football coach and fall football analyst allows the 49-year-old Becht to have the best of both worlds. It also allows him to attend college football games featuring his son Rocco, a quarterback for Penn State who spent three years playing for Iowa State.

“You think about who's got a perfect schedule, it's really me,” Becht said. “The Jets allow me to go to Penn State games and not travel with the team and meet them wherever they're at. So they put that onus on me. I've never — knock on wood — had any issues. I've been able to watch every [college] game. I've been able to get to every Jet game. It's not easy. We could probably do a story on my travels. But at the end of the day, I will be there.”

Coaching in the UFL and broadcasting NFL games (Becht called the Jets’ preseason games on TV for CBS New York) allows him to see players who might end up in his league if they don’t make an NFL roster. He’s not only the coach for Orlando but also functions as the general manager, so it’s a good spot.

“They both kind of benefit each other,” Becht said. “Our training camp starts the end of February, the season starts the end of March, and it ends — if you get to the championship — in mid-June. Then I have some time off and then the preseason and the NFL season starts. So they don't override each other, but they both provide me with the ability to do my jobs together.

"I get to call preseason games where some people may think preseason is just not enjoyable to watch, but these are Super Bowls for me because I get to see the players that ultimately are going to want to be in my league and I get to see them up front. I go to joint practices. So it's a great experience for me.”

Becht has been a successful head coach in spring football. His regular-season record in three years with the St. Louis Battlehawks and one with Orlando is 30-10, and that was without any previous head-coaching experience.

Becht has long-standing ties with the Jets. He was the 27th overall pick in the 2000 draft out of West Virginia and had 133 receptions for 1,164 yards and 17 touchdowns in five seasons as part of an 11-year career.

After his playing days, Becht called college games for ESPN before joining the Jets' broadcast team in 2018. In the spring, he spent time as a tight ends coach for the San Diego Fleet in another league, the now-defunct AAF. That eventually led to the head-coaching job in St. Louis.

Becht’s football heart is always with the Jets.

“Since I retired, I've watched every snap of the Jets,” he said. “I've been through a lot, and then obviously the years that I played there. So the history is rich. A lot of the people that are in the Jets' building on the business side were interns when I was there as a player.  Woody [Johnson, the owner]'s first year was my rookie year. I feel blessed to just continue to have that relationship with the organization.”

Considering the struggles the Jets have had, isn’t it fair to ask if Becht should be part of their coaching staff? Or maybe even the next head coach if the Aaron Glenn era doesn’t improve fast?

“I've never really been asked with anyone through the Jets' side to do that yet,” Becht said. “But I think for me, I continue to build and grow. Coaching is a priority for me. I love what I'm doing. I love being a head coach. I think the great part about it is even though I started quickly as a head coach, with no head-coaching experience, over my last four years I've won 75% of my games and I put 40-plus players in NFL training camps.

"It's a nice collection of experiences for me to really hone and grow in to see, OK, what's next? I don't know. Maybe I'll just do this forever. Maybe one day something will come there [with the Jets]: ‘Hey, let's have a conversation.’ But until that comes up, I really do love this. This is a perfect combination for me.”

Becht expects the Jets to be better under Glenn and new offensive coordinator Frank Reich this season.

“I'm excited to see that and call that because it's got to be better,” Becht said. “There's no excuse for it not to be.”

By Anthony Rieber

anthony.rieber@newsday.comAnthonyRieber

Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.