FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- After months of intense speculation and fan unrest, the New York Jets finally put an end to the Adam Gase era, firing the coach Sunday night after only two seasons.
Jets CEO Christopher Johnson, who called Gase a "brilliant offensive mind" at the start of the season, made the announcement after the Jets finished 2-14.
"While my sincere intentions are to have stability in our organization -- especially in our leadership positions -- it is clear the best decision for the Jets is to move in a different direction," Johnson said in a statement. "We knew there was a lot of work that needed to be done when Adam joined us in 2019. Our strong finish last year was encouraging, but unfortunately, we did not sustain that positive momentum or see the progress we all expected this season.
"To our fans, it is obvious we have not been good enough. We are committed to building a strong organization, on and off the field, and will continue to provide the necessary resources to field a team that you can be proud of."
The coaching search will be a collaborative effort among 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 a football executive and scout, Douglas' opinion will carry the most weight.
Gase, whose contract runs through 2022, was 9-23, including a franchise-record 13-game losing streak to start 2020. This is one of the lowest points for the franchise, which has gone five consecutive seasons without a winning record and 10 straight without a playoff appearance.
That Gase survived the season was a surprise, considering the Jets' disastrous start. The Johnson family, which has owned the franchise since 2000, never has fired a coach during the season.
Gase said last week he had not discussed his future with Jets ownership. Asked if he had a gut feeling on his fate, he said, "Nothing that I'm worried about."
Ironically, Gase could be remembered as the coach who won two games too many. Through 13 games, the Jets had the worst record and were in position to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft and a chance to pick Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Record aside, Gase failed to build a competitive offense and elevate the play of quarterback Sam Darnold -- the main reasons he was hired in 2019. The Jets ranked 32nd in total offense for the second year in a row and Darnold began Week 17 as the lowest-ranked quarterback in the NFL.
"It pisses me off," Gase said last week of the offensive struggles. "If there's one side of the ball I want to make sure is right, it would be that one. It has not happened, and that's on me."
The dysfunction reached a peak on Dec. 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 tenure also was marked by personality clashes with running back Le'Veon Bell and safety Jamal Adams, both of whom were jettisoned, and a lack of competitiveness on the field. Fifteen of his 23 losses were by double digits. The Jets have been outscored this season by 214 points, one of the worst scoring margins in franchise history.
Hailed as an offensive innovator and quarterback guru, Gase presided over an offense that ranked 32nd in 24 out of 34 regular-season weeks from the start of 2019. In October, Gase relinquished the playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, but he secretly returned to an active role as the weeks passed.
Gase sparked controversy from day one. At his introductory news 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, which led the Jets to hire Gase's preferred choice, Douglas.
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