NEW YORK (WFAN.com) -- The New York Jets hired Adam Gase as their new head coach on Wednesday night, WFAN's Brian Costello confirmed. Gase previously coached the Miami Dolphins for three seasons, and was fired after going 7-9 this past season.
Gase replaces Todd Bowles, who was fired after going 24-40 over four seasons. Gase will be the 19th head coach in Jets history.
WFAN's Boomer Esiason spoke at length by phone with Jets CEO Christopher Johnson about the coaching search and relayed what Johnson told him in that conversation.
"He told me last night that Adam Gase really blew him away," Esiason said on Thursday morning's "Boomer & Gio" show. "He said, 'I wanted an A-type personality for our building. I wanted somebody that is confident and in charge, somebody that brings energy, somebody who I have watched over the last three years beat our team to the point of our record being 1-5 against the Dolphins with Gase as a head coach and somebody that fits the moniker that is an offensive coach and can work with our quarterback, Sam Darnold.'"
The Jets also interviewed former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy (who was focusing on the Jets job), Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Dallas Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard, former Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken, former Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury and Baylor coach Matt Rhule (who removed his name from consideration on Wednesday night).
Dowell Loggains, Gase's offensive coordinator in Miami, is expected to join him with the Jets, according to multiple reports. Former Denver Broncos coach Vance Joseph and former Cleveland Browns coach Gregg Williams are reportedly candidates for the defensive coordinator role.
Here are five facts to know about Gase, who will try to lead Gang Green to its first Super Bowl in a half-century:
He got his start under Nick Saban.
Gase served as an undergraduate assistant coach at Michigan State under Saban in the late 1990s and then followed Saban to LSU, where he was a graduate assistant and recruiting assistant.
His wife comes from a coaching family.
His wife, Jennifer, is the daughter of longtime NFL assistant coach Joe Vitt, who most recently served as the assistant head coach and linebackers coach of the New Orleans Saints. Gase and Vitt worked together with the Dolphins, where Vitt was hired as a consultant. Gase and his wife have a daughter and two sons.
He coached a record-breaking offense in Denver.
With Gase as offensive coordinator in 2013, the Denver Broncos scored an NFL-record 606 points. Quarterback Peyton Manning passed for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns -- records that still stand today. That Broncos team reached Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium, but were blown out by the Seattle Seahawks, 43-8.
The Jets are the sixth NFL team he'll have worked for.
Gase has served as an assistant coach for the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears before being hired as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. In three seasons with Miami, he went 23-25, reaching the playoffs in 2016.
He plays guitar.
The Palm Beach Post reported in February 2016 that Gase once jammed with Melissa Etheridge on her tour bus before a benefit concert. He started taking guitar lessons while working for the Broncos.