JETS HAVE EYES FOR ERIC
Gang talks to Chiefs’ OC Bieniemy about becoming their next head coach
The search for Adam Gase’s replacement has begun with one of the hottest candidates on the market.
The Jets interviewed Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on Wednesday, the team announced.
Gang Green is hunting for a new head coach after acting owner Christopher Johnson canned Gase on Sunday night after the Jets lost to the Patriots to cap off a miserable 2-14 season. Gase went 9-23 over two seasons in charge of the Jets.
Bieniemy, 51, who has been coaching in Kansas City since 2013 and has been the team’s offensive coordinator since 2018, helped create the high-flying Chiefs attack that led to a Super Bowl victory last February. This year’s Chiefs team is in prime position to make a run at a repeat after finishing the season at 14-2 and with the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Under Bieniemy, the Chiefs and superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the NFL in total offensive (415.8 yards per game), passing offense (303.4) and ranked No. 6 in points per game (29.6).
“I don’t know of anybody who is a better leader of men,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said of Bieniemy during a Zoom call Monday with reporters. “He’s going to be honest with you, straightforward, and he knows the offense — those are all important things to be a head coach.”
This is the second time the Jets have interviewed Bieniemy. He was also in the mix before Gase landed the job despite Gase being fired by the Dolphins after three seasons.
Although Gase was hired because Johnson thought he had a “brilliant offensive mind,” the Jets were putrid on offense in his two seasons in charge. This season the Jets ranked dead last in yards per game (279.9), points (15.2) and second to last in passing (171.2). Gase’s Jets did lead the league in punts, though.
“This evening, I informed Adam Gase he will no longer served as the
Head Coach of the Jets,” Johnson said in a statement Sunday night. “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.
“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.”
The strong finish Johnson mentioned came after the Jets lost seven of their first eight games in 2019 before finishing with a 7-9 mark thanks to an easy second-half schedule.
This year’s Jets team started out 0-13 and fought neck-and-neck with the Jaguars for the No. 1 pick in April’s draft before back-to-back victories in December cost the team a chance to nab Clemson superstar QB Trevor Lawrence.
General manager Joe Douglas, who was hired after Gase in 2019, is expected to lead the search and have the ultimate say on who the next coach is.
Douglas told reporters on Tuesday that the team will cast “a very wide net,” in searching for Gase’s replacement.
Bieniemy, who played nine seasons in the NFL after starring at the University of Colorado, will have multiple suitors. He also interviewed Wednesday for the Jaguars job, ESPN reported. He interviewed with the Chargers on Tuesday after interviewing with the Falcons and Lions on Monday. According to Adam Schefter, the only team with an opening not to request to talk with Bieniemy is the Texans.
All early-round interviews are being conducted virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Other candidates linked to the Jets opening include: Matt Eberflus (Colts DC), Wink Martindale (Ravens DC), Arthur Smith (Titans OC), Brandon Staley (Rams DC), Matt Campbell (Iowa State) and Dan Mullen (Florida).