 Gase with theNew York Jets in 2019 | |
| Los Angeles Chargers | |
|---|---|
| Title | Pass game coordinator |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1978-03-29)March 29, 1978 (age 47) Ypsilanti, Michigan, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school | Marshall (MI) |
| College | Michigan State |
| Career history | |
Coaching | |
| |
Operations | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season | 32–48 (.400) |
| Postseason | 0–1 (.000) |
| Career | 32–49 (.395) |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
Adam Joseph Gase[1] (born March 29, 1978) is an Americanfootball coach who is currently the pass game coordinator for theLos Angeles Chargers of theNational Football League (NFL). He was the offensive coordinator for theDenver Broncos from 2013 to 2014, whose offense set the NFL record for points scored in 2013 and helped the team reachSuper Bowl XLVIII. Following this success, Gase served as thehead coach of theMiami Dolphins from 2016 to 2018 and theNew York Jets from 2019 to 2020.
Gase playedhigh school football forMarshall High School.[2][3]
Gase began his coaching career atMichigan State while an undergraduate student. He was a student assistant to the coaching staff.[4]
When Gase graduated from Michigan State, he followed coachNick Saban toLSU for the2000 season. In Gase's first season with LSU, he worked as a defensive graduate assistant and worked with recruiting. For the next two seasons, Gase worked full-time as a recruiting assistant for the Tigers.[5]
Gase left LSU and the college ranks to become a scouting assistant for theDetroit Lions. He was hired bySteve Mariucci. Gase worked as a scouting assistant from 2003 to 2005. He also added the role of offensive assistant for the 2005 season.
Gase stayed with the Lions under new head coachRod Marinelli and was promoted to the team's offensive quality control coach for the 2006 season. In 2007,Mike Martz promoted Gase to the team's quarterbacks coach.[6]
In 2008, Gase joinedMike Martz as an offensive assistant coach for theSan Francisco 49ers as the team went 7–9.[7][8]
As the offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos underJohn Fox, Gase was on the sidelines duringPeyton Manning's record-breaking passing season in2013.[9][10][11] Gase and the Broncos appeared inSuper Bowl XLVIII but fell to theSeattle Seahawks in a 43–8 blowout loss.[12] After the successful 2013 season, Gase stayed on as the offensive coordinator for the 2014 season.[13][14] After Fox was fired after their loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs, he was not retained by new head coachGary Kubiak.
After theChicago Bears hired Fox as their new head coach, Gase joined the team as his offensive coordinator once again.[15] In Gase's only season as the Bears offensive coordinator, the team finished 18th in total offense, while also recording 5,514 total net yards[16] and 344.6 per game, while finishing 6–10.[17][18]
TheMiami Dolphins announced that Gase would be the 12th head coach in franchise history on January 9, 2016. He is the first to be born after the team was founded in 1966.[19] The Dolphins started the season with a 1–4 record, but would follow that up with a six-game winning streak. Gase finished his first season as head coach with a 10–6 record leading Miami to the playoffs for the first time since2008. Miami finished second in theAFC East behind the eventualSuper Bowl LI championNew England Patriots.[20] In Gase's only playoff game as head coach, the Dolphins lost to thePittsburgh Steelers by a score of 30–12 in theWild Card Round.[21]
Following a promising2016 season, the Dolphins took a step back in2017 finishing with a 6–10.[22]
On December 31, 2018, a day after a 42–17 loss to theBuffalo Bills to close out the2018 season, the Dolphinsfired Gase as part of their organizational changes. He finished with a 23–25 regular-season record as Miami's head coach.[23]
TheNew York Jets announced that Gase would be the 19th head coach in the team's history on January 11, 2019.[24] On May 15, general managerMike Maccagnan was fired and Gase was named interim general manager;[25] Gase retained the role untilJoe Douglas was hired as the permanent general manager on June 6.[26]
In Gase's first year, the Jets stumbled to a 1–7 record through the first eight games with starting quarterbackSam Darnold missing three games after coming down withmononucleosis, but won six of their final eight games to finish at 7–9.[27][28]
In his second year, Gase and the Jets started 0–13, the worst such start in franchise history. By the Week 7 matchup against theBuffalo Bills, Gase had relieved himself of offensive play calling duties in favor of offensive coordinatorDowell Loggains. It was rumored that Gase would return to calling offensive plays for the Week 12 game against theMiami Dolphins in the 20–3 loss. At the postgame press conference, Gase did not give a straightforward answer on who was calling the plays.[29]
In Week 13, Gase fired defensive coordinatorGregg Williams for making the "Cover 0 blitz" play call that cost the Jets the win against theLas Vegas Raiders.[30][31] After starting the season 0–13, the Jets won their first game of 2020 on December 20, defeating theLos Angeles Rams 23–20. The Jets finished the season at the bottom of the AFC East with a 2–14 record, one win better than their franchise-worst 1–15 record in1996.[32] On January 3, 2021, hours after the team's season-ending loss against theNew England Patriots, Gase was fired by the Jets. Gase finished his tenure in New York with a 9–23 (.281) regular season record.[33]
Following his dismissal by the Jets, Gase did not work in any recognized position in the NFL. He occasionally visited NFL teams to offer his insight into their operations.[34] Most notably, Gase visited the Broncos' facility during the 2023 and 2025 offseasons, where his father-in-lawJoe Vitt works as a defensive assistant.[35] While head coachSean Payton called Gase a "good resource" who was "welcome to come out", he is not formally part of the staff.[36]
In 2024, he joined The 33rd Team as a strategic advisor alongside former NFL head coachesBill Belichick andMatt Patricia.[37]
On February 9, 2026, Gase was hired by theLos Angeles Chargers to serve as an offensive assistant, replacingMarcus Brady.
Gase is married to Jennifer Vitt, the daughter of formerNFL linebacker coachJoe Vitt. The couple have three children together.[38] Gase is a fan of theDetroit Tigers.[1]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| MIA | 2016 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in AFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toPittsburgh Steelers inAFC wild card game |
| MIA | 2017 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3rd in AFC East | — | — | — | — |
| MIA | 2018 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2nd in AFC East | — | — | — | — |
| MIA Total | 23 | 25 | 0 | .479 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |||
| NYJ | 2019 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3rd in AFC East | — | — | — | — |
| NYJ | 2020 | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 4th in AFC East | — | — | — | — |
| NYJ Total | 9 | 23 | 0 | .281 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
| Total | 32 | 48 | 0 | .400 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |||