FLORHAM PARK, NJ – After months of intense speculation and fan excitement, the New York Jets finally ended the Adam Gase era, dismissing the coach on Sunday night after just two seasons.
Jets CEO Christopher Johnson, who called Gase a “brilliant offensive mind” earlier in the season, made the announcement after Jets ended 2-14.
“Although my sincere intentions are to have stability in our organization – especially in our leadership positions – it is clear that the best decision for the Jets is to go in a different direction,” Johnson said in a statement. “We knew there was a lot of work to be done when Adam joined us in 2019. Our strong finish last year was encouraging, but, unfortunately, we didn’t sustain that positive momentum or saw the progress we all expected this season.
“For our fans, it is obvious that we have not been good enough. We are committed to building a strong organization, on and off the field, and we will continue to provide the necessary resources to form a team to be proud of.”
The search for coaching will be a collaborative effort between Johnson, team president Hymie Elhai and general manager Joe Douglas, according to a source. Douglas will make the recommendation and Johnson will make the final decision. Given his 20 years as an executive and football scout, Douglas’s opinion will carry more weight.
Gase, whose contract runs through 2022, went from 9 to 23, including a franchise record of 13 consecutive losing games in early 2020. This is one of the lowest points in the franchise, which has spent five consecutive seasons without a winning record and 10 straight without a playoff appearance.
The fact that Gase survived the season was a surprise, considering the disastrous start of the Jets. The Johnson family, owner of the franchise since 2000, never fired a coach during the season.
Gase said last week that he had not discussed his future with Jets’ property. Asked if he had a feeling about his fate, he said, “Nothing to worry about.”
Ironically, Gase could be remembered as the coach who won two more games. Over 13 games, the Jets had the worst record and were in a position to get No. 1 overall choice in the 2021 NFL draft and a chance to select Clemson’s quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Record aside, Gase failed to build a competitive attack and elevate quarterback Sam Darnold’s game – the main reasons he was hired in 2019. The Jets took 32nd place in the total attack for the second year in a row and Darnold started Week 17 as the lowest ranked quarterback in the NFL.
“It pisses me off,” Gase said last week of offensive fights. “If there is one side of the ball that I want to make sure is right, it is this. It did not happen and it is up to me.”
The dysfunction peaked on December 7, when Gase fired defensive coordinator Gregg Williams after the defense allowed a long touchdown pass in a last-second loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Gase’s management was also marked by personality clashes with running back Le’Veon Bell and safety Jamal Adams, both fired, and lack of competitiveness on the pitch. Fifteen of his 23 losses were double digits. The Jets were overcome this season by 214 points, one of the worst scoring margins in the franchise’s history.
Acclaimed as an offensive innovator and defender guru, Gase presided over an offensive that ranked 32 in 24 of the 34 weeks of the regular season since the beginning of 2019. In October, Gase abandoned playcalling duties for offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, but he secretly returned to an active role over the weeks.
Gase has generated controversy since the first day. At his introductory press conference in January 2019, his wandering eyes triggered viral memes. A few months later, he won a power struggle with general manager Mike Maccagnan, who was instrumental in hiring Gase. In a surprising move, Maccagnan was fired after the 2019 NFL draft, prompting the Jets to sign Gase’s preferred choice, Douglas.