After a two-week search, the New York Jets passed on former Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy and hired Adam Gase instead.
The Jets fired Todd Bowles after four seasons in which the Jets went 24-40. Gase becomes the 19th head coach in Jets history. He is the first head coach with experience since Bill Parcels. He’s also the first offensive-mind coach since Rich Kotite. The Jets have not qualified for the playoffs since 2010.
McCarthy had been rumored to become the next Jets coach and had even issued a statement essentially stating that the Jets were the sole team he wanted to coach. However, at the last minute, the Jets decided upon Gase after an excellent recommendation from the legendary Peyton Manning.
The Jets also interviewed Kliff Kingsbury, Eric Bieniemy (OC from the Chiefs), Todd Monken, Kris Richard, Jim Caldwell, and Matt Rhule from Baylor.
Miami to NYC
Gase, 40, will be getting his second opportunity as a head coach. Even the greatest head coaches of all time struggled in their first jobs. Just ask Bill Belichick about his struggles when he coached the Cleveland Browns. The Jets hope that the added experience with a rough run in Miami will making him a stronger coach in New York.
In three seasons with the Dolphins, Gase went 23-25. He guided them to a playoff berth in 2016, but they struggled the previous two seasons.
In three seasons, Gase defeated the Jets five times with a 5-1 record against their AFC East foes.
Gase, considered a quarterback whisperer, swaps out a constantly injured Ryan Tannenhill for a calm and cool Sam Darnold. In 2017, Gase was stuck with an unenthusiastic Jay Cutler at quarterback.
“I’m really excited to work with him,” said Sam Darnold. “Because of all the good things he’s done. I just have to continue to push the guys and make them understand, hey, we’re going to do things this way. We’re going to get off to a fast start, and you best believe we’re going to win games doing that.”
Gase rose to fame as the quarterbacks coach of the Denver Broncos for two seasons before they promoted him to offensive coordinator in 2013. He worked with Peyton Manning for two seasons and won a Super Bowl. In 2013, Manning tossed 55 touchdowns, which set an NFL record. Manning also threw for 5,477 yards and only 10 interceptions. In 2014, Manning fought back multiple injuries but still threw 39 TDs and over 4,700 yards.
The Peyton Call
It took one influential phone call from one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time to sway the Jets. Peyton Manning has often referred to Gase as “the smartest person I know.” And that knowledge extends was beyond the football field.
Manning chatted the Jets owner and CEO Chris Johnson. The Jets were interested in other candidates, but the Manning recommendation put Gase over the top.
The New Wave
Before Sean McVay became the NFL’s wunderkind head coach, there was Adam Gase. He was McVay before McVay. The Miami Dolphins gave Gase his first head coaching job and the results were not up to snuff.
Although things did not work out with the Dolphins, the Jets are more impressed with his offensive mind. They are hoping Gase can help transform Sam Darnold into an elite quarterback. Even without an optimal lineup, Darnold shows flashes of brilliance during his rookie season. Rookies rarely get to start in their first season, but the Jets were confident in Darnold after an impressive training camp and preseason. Then head coach, Todd Bowles, tapped Darnold to start on opening day.
The NFL is a copycat league. In the modern NFL, high-octane offenses are the new rage. With teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, LA Rams, and New Orleans Saints cranking out 40 or more points at will, many other owners seek to transform their teams. Fans suffering through years and years with mediocre and unexciting squads want their coaches to embrace the new era of passing . At the least, the games will be exciting to watch and fantasy football fans will have more reasons to watch games and draft their players. Let’s be honest, how many fantasy football teams had players from the Jets, Bills and Cardinals on them?
With the hiring of Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona and the Tampa Bucs coaxing Bruce Arians out of retirement, it’s extremely clear that the rest of the NFL is all-in on offensive-minded coaches.