The New York Jets found their head coach on Wednesday night, bringing in former Miami Dolphins bench boss Adam Gase to try and turn things around for the dysfunctional franchise.
It’s a surprising hire, considering Baylor University head coach Matt Rhule was the expected favorite to land the position. However, disagreements over who would take over as offensive coordinator led to the former Giants offensive line coach staying at the Texas school for at least another year, per multiple reports.
While he also beat out former Green Bay Packers head coach and Super Bowl winner Mike McCarthy for the job, it seems as though Gase won’t have many problems with the Jets taking part in the process of hiring both offensive and defensive coordinators.
Jets Offensive Coordinator Options
The Jets’ pursuit of a new offensive coordinator is not expected to take long.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reported within the hour of Gase’s hiring that Dowell Loggains will likely take over the position.
At 38 years old, Loggains has already directed the offenses of three different teams, including the Dolphins in 2018 under Gase, but the head coach was responsible for calling the plays.
That dynamic is expected to stay the same in New York should Loggains officially make his way to the Jets. To put things simply, Loggains’ title as offensive coordinator is more of a figurehead role as he will be utilized to lighten Gase’s role as head coach. It will allow one of them to work closely with second-year quarterback Sam Darnold, who will continue his development as the team’s franchise quarterback.
Jets fans will be hoping it’s Gase working with Darnold rather than Loggains. During his time as Chicago Bears offensive coordinator, Loggains’ pass offense with then-rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (who played 12 games) was the worst in the NFL.
Jets Defensive Coordinator Options
On the defensive side of the ball, former Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph was immediately believed to be a candidate after Gase’s hiring, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
Joseph was Gase’s defensive coordinator in Miami in 2016 before taking over the Broncos. However, he is interviewing for the Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator job under Kliff Kingsbury and is also believed to be in the running for the Cincinnati Bengals head coaching job.
Former Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator and interim head coach Gregg Williams is believed to be up for consideration as well, ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The 60-year-old did a commendable job helping the hapless Browns finish strong down the stretch as that franchise is on the verge of turning over a new leaf. After starting the season 2-6-1 under Hue Jackson, Williams led Cleveland to a 5-3 finish for an overall record of 7-8-1. That was their best mark in a season since 2014.
Williams is one of the most experienced defensive coordinators available, spending parts of 17 seasons at the position with six different teams. However, his role in the famed “Bounty-gate” as New Orleans Saints coordinator will always provide a major blemish on his resume.
Another former head coach in Chuck Pagano has also been linked to the Jets defensive coordinator job, as first reported by MMQB’s Albert Breer.
Pagano spent one year leading the Baltimore Ravens defense in 2011 before he was hired as the Indianapolis Colts’ head coach. He spent six seasons with the franchise before getting fired in 2017. He was out of the NFL in 2018.
