Jets’ Adam Gase breaks silence, says he had nothing to do with GM Mike Maccagnan being fired in ‘power struggle’
Jets coach
Adam Gase on Monday made his first comments about the team’s
firing of general manager
Mike Maccagnan, who lost an apparent four-month power struggle to Gase.
Gase was asked for his reaction to
the Maccagnan firing — and whether he agrees or disagrees with the notion that he had anything to do with it.
“I disagree with that, as far as a power struggle,” Gase told reporters Monday. “Because whoever is getting hired [as the new GM] is going to have the same role — control of the roster. I will coach the football team. That’s what I’m going to do. Nothing is changing in that structure.”
Gase said he felt “surprised” when acting owner
Christopher Johnson told him Tuesday night that Maccagnan was fired. The decision was announced Wednesday.
“That’s what it was,” Gase said. “He’s the owner. In this business, [expletive] like that happens all the time. It happened to me last year [when the Dolphins fired Gase]. I think that’s what it is. I mean, I work for [Johnson]. That’s how we’re aligned, is the GM and the head coach both report to the owner. That’s the way it is."
Gase was not expected to address the Maccagnan firing Monday. He was expected to wait until his Thursday press conference — after the Jets’ first open organized team activities practice (and third OTAs session overall) — to address the matter.
But Gase decided he wanted to say something anyway Monday, a day before the Jets begin OTAs. Gase answered just that one question about Maccagnan’s firing. He deferred further questions to Thursday’s press conference.
With Gase (now the interim GM) yet to even coach a training camp practice, the Jets are currently
seeking a replacement for Maccagnan, who had been on the job since 2015.
Eagles vice president of player personnel
Joe Douglas is considered the favorite, as he has a previous relationship with Gase and could presumably work well with him — something Maccagnan couldn’t do. Gase and Douglas worked together for one season, 2015, with the Bears. Gase was offensive coordinator, Douglas college scouting director. They’re friends.
Even though Johnson has said the new GM will have the same complete control over the 53-man roster that Maccagnan had, it’s pretty clear Gase now has at least some increased personnel-decisions influence in the organization, since he will help pick the new GM — and since that GM’s outlook on building a team surely will align largely with Gase’s.
