Source: Adam Gase ends NFL hiatus to join Chargers’ staff

LOS ANGELES — The Chargers are hiring former New York Jets and Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase as an assistant coach overseeing the passing game, a source told ESPN.

Gase, 47, hasn’t coached in the NFL since he was fired by the Jets after the 2020 season when his team finished 2-14.

Gase was regarded as one of the NFL’s brightest offensive minds when the Dolphins hired him as head coach in 2016. At 37, he was the league’s youngest head coach at the time after working with Jay Cutler as the Chicago Bears‘ offensive coordinator and Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow as the Denver Broncos‘ quarterbacks coach.

But Gase never reached that potential as a head coach. He was fired after three seasons in Miami, where the Dolphins ranked 24th or worse in total offense each year, including 31st in 2018. The Jets hired Gase in 2019 hoping he could develop quarterback Sam Darnold, but New York finished 32nd in total offense in both of his seasons.

He had a 32-49 record, including a playoff loss in 2016, as a head coach.

Gase will likely be replacing Marcus Brady, who served as the Chargers’ passing game coordinator the past two seasons. The Baltimore Ravens are hiring Brady for the same role, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

This is the third known addition to offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s staff. A source told ESPN that Butch Barry is also being hired as offensive line coach, while Max McCaffrey will replace Kiel McDonald as running backs coach.

The Chargers hired former Dolphins head coach McDaniel as their new offensive coordinator last month.

NFL Network first reported the news that the Chargers were hiring Gase.