A New York Jets Potential Fix at Head Coach and General Manager

Dec 29, 2014; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets chairman and chief executive officer Woody Johnson addresses the media regarding the dismissal of general manager John Idzik (not pictured) and head coach Rex Ryan (not pictured) at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

In the aftermath of Black Monday, my articles have not focused on the potential candidates for the head coaching and general managers jobs left vacant by the firings. Instead, I’ve been focusing on the fan base and what we can do to close the divide among us. There are two reasons for that. First, I think its important to rally the fan base and close the divide among us. Two, I’m a fan, I write from that perspective, I’m not an expert. At the urging of some of my readers, I will throw my opinion into the arena of who the Jets should hire. It’s pure speculation, just my opinion on who I think could possibly fix the situation.

Oct 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Gase is my choice for the head coaching position vacated by the firing of Rex Ryan. It’s my personal belief that after years of a defensive minded philosophy in New York, that it is time for an offensive minded head coach. The Jets offense has struggled for years; under three different offensive coordinators the results have only gotten worse. I think Adam Gase can bring that to a halt rather quickly.

Mr. Gase is finishing his sixth year in the Denver Broncos organization. In his time with the Broncos, he’s served in a couple of positions and has steadily moved his way up the ranks of the organization. General Manager John Elway holds Gase in high regard, and has seen fit to continually promote him. A John Elway endorsement is plenty for me, the guy knows a little about offense and he has shown he has an eye for talent.

Mr. Gase joined the Denver Broncos as a wide receiver coach and held the position in 2009 and 2010. Its my thinking that the Jets could use his experience, let’s face it, our wide receiver position hasn’t been quite elite lately. His ties to Eric Decker are obvious. A reunion with Decker could pay dividends for the Jets.

Gase was promoted again in 2011, taking on the position of quarterback coach for Denver. He’s worked with Peyton Manning, do I say more? While Peyton hardly needed much coaching when he signed with the Broncos, the experience alone is worth noting. The Jets QB position has been an area of huge contention over the years. Bringing in an offensive minded head coach with experience coaching quarterbacks would be a big plus for the Jets.

Last year, Gase took the next big step in his career, being promoted to the Denver Broncos offensive coordinator position. In his first year as the offensive coordinator in Denver, the Broncos set an NFL record for scoring, amassing 606 yards of total offense. They also became the first team in 45 years to score 50 points in three different games in a season! Now some will argue its easy to run an offense with Peyton Manning as your QB, but much of the credit of Peyton’s success has to be shared with Gase for his game planning and attention to detail.

That sort of game planning and attention to detail would be a welcome sight on game day at MetLife! Let’s face it, the Jets haven’t exactly lit up any score boards in the past several years. The Jets have struggled mightily under three different offensive coordinators in the past five years. Gates would also end the Jets fascination with the “Wildcat” once and for all!

Oct 11, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; LSU Tigers helmet lays on the sidelines against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. LSU Tigers defeated the Florida Gators 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Prior to being hired by the Denver Broncos, Gase had also coached and had success with the LSU Tigers, The Detroit Lions, and San Francisco 49ers. Gase is only 37 years old, and some of his critics will claim he’s too young for the job. I hold that Gase is a perfect candidate because of his age, he’s grown through the ranks of the new pass happy era of pro football. Gone would be the antiquated ground and pound philosophy the Jets have stubbornly held onto. Gates has shown that he can run a balanced offense, running when it is needed to open up the passing game, while passing heavily with multiple formations when the opponents stack the box.

It’s just my opinion, but I’d like to see the Jets go after Gase and bring him on board as our next head coach! Whomever they decide on in the end I’ll surely support, but I’d much rather see them land an offensive minded guy this time around.

Oct 6, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; A Seattle Seahawks helmet rest of the field prior to the game against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Trent Kirchner is the guy I’d like to see take over for the fired John Idzik as the Jets general manager. Unlike Idzik, Kirchner actually did play a part in building the Seattle Seahawks into a Super Bowl winner! Kirchner is currently the Director of Pro Personnel for the team. Kirchner is an interesting story in that he started as an intern and worked his way up the ladder. He has an extensive scouting background, working for many years as a scout for the Carolina Panthers, before being hired by the Seahawks. He’s worked closely with Seahawks general manager in building last year’s Super Bowl champions. He first job with the Seahawks was in the scouting department before being promoted to Assistant Director of Pro Personnel in 2010.