FLORHAM PARK, NJ – This time, the New York Jets will try something different. Instead of reinforcing one side of the ball, which they tried unsuccessfully two years ago with signing offensive Adam Gase, CEO Christopher Johnson said on Monday that he will look for a coach who can galvanize the entire team.
“I don’t really like the term ‘CEO’, but it describes what we’re looking for,” said Johnson. “We want a head coach who trains the whole team and his team. You don’t have to be offensive, you don’t have to be defensive. This is a coach for the whole team. This is very important for us looking forward to. “
The Jets sought permission to interview at least four candidates – offensive coordinators Eric Bieniemy (Kansas City Chiefs), Brian Daboll (Buffalo Bills) and Arthur Smith (Tennessee Titans) and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus (Indianapolis Colts), the sources said. There will be several more orders in the coming days.
Johnson predicted “broad and deep” research that could take a few weeks. This is a departure from 2019, when they focused on offensive coaches who could prepare defender Sam Darnold. It didn’t work. The Jets went 9-23 under Gase, whose attack ended in 32nd in both seasons. He was fired on Sunday night.
Johnson tacitly admitted that he didn’t care about Gase’s structure, which gave former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams full autonomy on that side of the ball.
“We saw it in action,” said Johnson. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad way of doing things, but in our case, I think we can do better.”
General manager Joe Douglas will lead the search – another starting point for the franchise. In previous research, the Jets hired consultants and a talent scouting company. With the hiring of Gase, Johnson took the lead. This time, he will feature his top football executive, although Douglas, hired in 2019, never hired a head coach.
“Joe is the GM we’ve been looking for for years,” said Johnson. “I have a lot of faith in him. If we manage to hire this coach in the right way, and I think we will, I think we can be a team that nobody will want to see in their schedule even next year. And we will see where we can get with that.”
In addition to hiring a coach, the Jets’ biggest decision involves the defender. Johnson gave holder Sam Darnold a vote of confidence, saying he wants Darnold on the team. But he quickly realized that he will let Douglas and the new coach make the decision. Johnson once said the same thing about the security of Jamal Adams, who ended up being negotiated.
“I’m a big fan of Sam,” said Johnson. “I think he’s a great QB. I think he has wonderful talent, motivation and leadership. … I don’t think the book was written about Sam. He has a great future and, personally, I hope it’s about that team This is what I told him [Sunday] night after the game. “
Darnold, who fought in his third season, could be replaced by a newcomer, as the Jets have second choice in the 2021 draft of the NFL. On Monday, he reiterated that he wants to end his Jets career.
“I want to get back on top,” said Darnold. “I believe that we can.”
On cleaning day, several players insisted on the same theme: The team needs to improve its culture. In a team meeting, Johnson and Douglas emphasized to players that the priority is to find a coach who can do this.