Contrary to the Narrative, New York Jets Head Coach Adam Gase 'Relates to the Players Well'

Contrary to what Jamal Adams said, one former New York Jet thinks head coach Adam Gase relates well to the locker room.

Erik Coleman is a fanboy for New York Jets head coach Adam Gase. OK, that is a stretch but Coleman believes that the Jets have the right head coach to take this team through their rebuild.

And when it comes to Gase, Coleman defends the job done by the Jets head coach in 2019, his first year with the team.

Coleman spent nine years in the NFL including four seasons with the Jets. Now an analyst on CBS New York, Coleman was a guest this week on Tiki and Tierney on CBS Sports Radio.

He was asked by host Brandon Tierney about his thoughts on Gase, set to enter his second year with the Jets after going 7-9 a year ago.

“For a team that didn’t have a lot, I thought Gase did OK,” Coleman said on the show.

“I’m one of those guys who is a fan of Adam Gase. I think that he’s a very intelligent coach, I think he relates to the players well. When you talk to the players, they all have a ton of respect for him, they love the process that they’re going through.”

The line of Gase being relatable in the locker room runs counter to the narrative this time a month ago.

In a scathing exclusive with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News late in July, then Jets safety Jamal Adams railed against Gase and said that he wasn’t approachable. He cited examples and claims about Gase and how he interacted with the players to prove this point.

One day after his interview, Adams, an All-Pro last year, was traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

Coleman also praised Gase for the job done last year in navigating a tough terrain. The Jets led the league in players lost due to injury. Gase certainly had a beat-up team but still managed to close out the year strong after a 1-7 start.

“I thought he did a heck of a job last year given that he lost a ton of players, he lost of talent…his starting quarterback, his inside linebacker he paid a bunch of money too – both inside linebackers at that,” Coleman said.

“To piece that together and go down the stretch 6-2 over the last eight games was very impressive. I’m a big fan of Adam Gase, I think they’re going to turn things around. They got some offensive help this [offseason]. I think things are looking on the up and up.”