Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is happy with his new coach.
New York hired former Dolphins coach Adam Gase earlier this week to replace Todd Bowles. Darnold said he was excited to play for Gase in an interview with the New York Daily News on Thursday.
“I’m really pumped about this opportunity to be with coach Gase … with his mind and ability to lead a team,” Darnold said. “He’s a good dude. The excitement and the passion that he has for the game is very contagious. I think that will rub off on a lot of the guys.”
Gase was fired by the Dolphins on Dec. 31 after three seasons. He led the team to a 10-6 record and a playoff appearance in his first year in Miami in 2016 but tallied just 15 total wins over the next two seasons.
Darnold said he spoke to Gase on the phone during the interview process.
“He’s very fiery,” Darnold said. “I love that about him. I love the passion that he brings. At the same time, I’m going to be me. He’ll just bring a certain attitude to this team that we need. I’m really looking forward to hearing his ideas and what he thinks might work best, what he thinks I do well, what we want to utilize in terms of running an offense.”
Gase previously served as the offensive coordinator with the Broncos and Bears. He worked closely with star Peyton Manning while in Denver.
“Coach Gase has done amazing things not with just quarterbacks, but offenses in general,” Darnold said. “I think we can take this a long way. There’s a lot to be excited about. There’s a lot of points that are going to be scored.
“The reason that I’m so pumped is that I know — and I’m confident — that we’re going to score a lot of points. And at the end of the day, that’s how you win games. Obviously, people say offense wins games, defenses win championships. But I think at the end of the day, if you score more points than the other team, you’re going to win.”
New York selected Darnold out of USC with the third pick in the 2018 draft. He threw for 2,865 yards with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 13 games as a rookie.
The Jets finished 2018 with a 4-12 record and missed the playoffs for an eighth straight season.