It’s official: One of the most maligned coaches in New York Jets history has returned to the NFL.

On Friday, the Los Angeles Chargers officially announced the hire of Adam Gase as their passing game specialist, among eight additions to their coaching staff.

This will be Gase’s first official position in the NFL (or football in general) since he was fired as the Jets’ head coach after the 2020 season.

Gase, 47, briefly appeared at Denver Broncos training camp in 2025, where head coach Sean Payton called him a “great resource”. However, Gase has not coached football in any official capacity since the Jets’ season-ending 28-14 loss to the New England Patriots on Jan. 3, 2021.

The Ypsilanti, Mich. native served as the Jets’ head coach from 2019-20, compiling a 9-23 record (.281 win percentage). This followed a three-year run as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach, where Gase went 23-25 (.479) with one playoff appearance (0-1).

Gase’s Jets tenure is best remembered for the tarnishing of quarterback Sam Darnold’s career in green. The former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator inherited Darnold going into his second NFL season, when he was only 22 years old. New York hoped Gase’s offensive expertise could unlock the USC product’s potential.

Darnold’s 2019 season was quickly thrown off-track by a bout with mono, costing him three games and burying the Jets in an 0-4 hole. Upon Darnold’s return, the Jets finished 7-5.

However, the 2020 season was a disaster from start to finish. The Jets started 0-13 on their way to a 2-14 season, and that was the last anyone had heard from Gase until now.

In Los Angeles, Gase will work under offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who was tabbed this offseason by Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh to replace Greg Roman. Ironically, McDaniel also served as the Dolphins’ head coach (though Brian Flores was Gase’s direct successor).

Notably, Roman interviewed for the Jets’ offensive coordinator role this offseason, which ultimately went to Frank Reich.

The Jets are scheduled to visit the Chargers in 2026. While the only player on the team’s current roster who played under Gase is long snapper Thomas Hennessy, there are surely some Jets fans looking forward to facing off with their favorite team’s former head coach.