Johnson: Gase hire about winning games, not Twitter
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — In the hours that followed the Jets’ announcement last Friday that Adam Gase is their new coach, many frustrated fans took to social media to voice their displeasure.
Some used all 280 characters on Twitter. Some only needed one word and a hashtag.
Either way, they weren’t happy. Christopher Johnson and the Jets, however, were thrilled with their decision. And shortly after formally introducing Gase as the coach at the team’s facility Monday, Johnson sacked the pointed criticism with overwhelming optimism.
“We’ve just had a couple of down years, so I have to earn their trust,” the team’s chairman and CEO said. “I think that they will see this as, if not right now, they’ll see it pretty soon as a great hire.
“I’m not trying to win Twitter. I’m trying to win football games.”
Gase beat out the likes of Mike McCarthy, Todd Monken and Matt Rhule for the job, less than two weeks after being fired by the Miami Dolphins.
“I’m just really convinced that he is the man,” Johnson said.
Johnson praised Gase’s work over the years with quarterbacks and offenses, and how the Jets’ Sam Darnold — along with the rest of the offense — will benefit greatly from the new coach being here.
“To paraphrase Wayne Gretzky,” Johnson said, “he’s coaching to where football is going.”
The 40-year-old coach was the hot assistant just three years ago around this time, after directing the Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning-led offense to record-setting performances. But a 23-26 record in three seasons with the Dolphins, including a playoff loss, had him out of a job — along with reports of some friction with players.
Gase quickly got a second chance, and with a former AFC East opponent.
“Over three years, you’re going to have mistakes that you make,” Gase said with his wife, Jennifer, and their three young children sitting a few feet away from the podium. “It can be either a mental note or, really, you start creating that list from year to year. It’s really starting with this first part of the process.”
That would be putting together a coaching staff, which is something he has been working on since he was hired.