Adam Gase hired as Jets Head Coach

It’s not the news Jets fans were looking to hear, but Adam Gase was hired as the new Head Coach of the team.  After much deliberation between he, Matt Rhule (Head Coach of Baylor) and the recently fired Mike McCarthy, CEO Christopher Johnson decided that Gase was the man for the job.  It was probably the biggest hire in recent years for the Jets and it comes with a lot of flak from fans and media alike.

Gase was one of the candidates going into the head coaching search but he most certainly wasn’t the favorite.  Mike McCarthy, with his championship pedigree and success, was looked at to be the favorite.  He even said that the only job that he was seriously considering was the Jets’ job.  Unfortunately, he’s going to have to wait as Gase is the new head coach.  Let’s weigh some pros and cons of the hire.

Gase has the opportunity to mold a young quarterback with unlimited potential

Sam Darnold may get a boost from the offensive guru Gase.  Gase was offensive coordinator for the high flying Denver Broncos between 2013-2014.  He was also the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears in 2015.  He was a hot candidate and was hired by the Miami Dolphins immediately.

His offensive scheme was part of one of the best seasons in quarterback history as Peyton Manning broke multiple records.  Gase’s offense in Chicago was decent but never got off the ground.  His offense in Miami was pretty good considering he never had a healthy quarterback in Ryan Tannehill and an underperforming receiving corp.

Gase has had success every step of the way in his coaching career, and having a true, legitimate quarterback in Darnold could be exactly what his offensive scheme needs.  The two could be a dynamic duo for years to come.

Gase alienated teammates, management, and never had success as head coach

The biggest knock on Gase, other than the lack of success of course, is that his tenure as Dolphins’ head coach was tumultuous.  He was let go by the Dolphins not necessarily for his lack of success, but for not being able to see eye to eye with the Dolphins’ management team.  According to multiple sources, the Fins’ locker room was in dire straits this season, even after letting go of cancer Ndamukong Suh.

Add that to the fact that he went 23-25 as head coach, and a myriad of other excuses, and you have a recipe for disaster.  Gase may be one of those cases where he’s a better coordinator than head coach.  The issue with New York is that they’re not going to just sit and let a coach go under .500 again.  On top of that, things will get heated very quickly between he and the media if they don’t get off to a good start.

This hire hinges on a few things;  The development of Sam Darnold, the coordinators hired on both offense and defense, and the temperment of Gase.  If Gase can keep his cool, not alienate himself from his team and from the media, and put the right people around him, this hire may be a success.

If he doesn’t do that and Sam Darnold crashes and burns in Gase’s offense?  Off with his head.  It’s already a controversial hire considering a Super Bowl winning coach could have potentially taken the job.  We’ll see what the future holds, but it’s safe to say Jets fans are not happy.