So far, Adam Gase has all the credentials for consideration in being named Coach of the Year
The race for Coach of the Year goes all the way through the playoffs.
With the Dallas Cowboy rattling off 10 straight wins while having a rookie QB, I’m not saying Adam Gase is in the lead for Coach of the Year; But, unless you’re a Miami Dolphins hater, there’s no reason he shouldn’t at least be in the running.
And for Dolphins fans even a consideration is a big deal because good coaching and Miami have not been synonymous in a long, long time: last year’s coach Joe Philbin was the poster child of failed coaching
There was a lot of hype about Gase prior to being selected the head coach of the Dolphins.
Hype and the Dolphins have rarely ended well — Nick Saban, Bill Parcells, and Jimmy Johnson.
The main point to the buzz revolving around Gase was his QB whisper ability, due to his time with Peyton Manning and Jay Cutler. So, with the Ryan Tannehill contract situation looming, Miami quickly went full press to get Gase before any other teams could even do a meet-and-greet with him.
But, when Gase was hired expectations began to be tempered as it was pointed out that not only was he a rookie Head Coach, but he was also going to be the youngest in the entire NFL at the age of 38 years old.
Coach of the Year award takes into consideration what the coach is working with.
Yet, during the off-season, the hype again bloomed as Gase was getting a lot of praise from inside and outside the organization for displaying what appeared to be the ability to overcome his lack of experience. There was even talk that he might get the franchise back to being relevant again much quicker than originally thought.
After a 1-4 start, the buzz became ‘can he coach’, as he appeared to have Miami on its usual losing path.
Instead of playing it safe, Gase went blitzkrieg by cutting two unproductive lineman and running back. By showing little fear in shaking things up, it became very clear that Gase was the head honcho, and no one’s job was safe.
On the precipice of another losing season, a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the Pittsburgh Steelers loomed with all the tools needed to finish off the Dolphins season. Most of the best pay per head fans would agree that there was little expectation that this game would be the start of a Dolphins resurgence. But, Gase’s decision to take a new approach to the offense, due to finally having a full line-up of Offensive Line starters, and go ground and pound, smash mouth football was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Amazingly, the Dolphins physically out-matched one of the most physical teams in the league, and after that…well, you know the rest of the story.
Beyond the wins, the biggest feather in Gase’s cap has been that Tannehill is playing with far more consistency. Last weeks huge comeback was the exclamation mark on Tannehill’s improvement and Gase’s ability to help QB’s.
Miami Dolphins have had one Coach of the Year: Don Shula 1972.
Now, with the Dolphins have now won 5 straight games, aiming to win their 6th straight game (something not seen since 2005), Gase has put himself in the running for Coach of the Year.
Yes, there are other worthy candidates for Head Coach of the Year award: Jason Garrett (Cowboys), Jack Del Rio (Raiders), Jim Caldwell, and Bill Belichick (Patriots).
However, excluding Jim Caldwell, the other coaches had playoff caliber teams coming into the season. The Patriots are obviously the Patriots, and the Raiders and Cowboys were both expected to be in the playoff hunt — although, not as two of the best overall teams in the league.
To Caldwell’s credit, he has taken a Lions team that was not expected to make the playoffs, and after starting 1-3, turned them into the leader of the NFC South Division and a serious playoff contender.
But, we are talking consideration for coach Gase — not pole position.
Also, let’s not also forget that these 4 coaches have a combined 45 years’ worth of head coaching experience compared to Gase’s 1 year: Belichick 21, Rio 11, Garrett 7, and Caldwell 6. That alone is an outstanding point for Gase’s case: to even be mentioned in the same paragraph as these 4 head coaches is a remarkable feat. It is also proof that the early indication that his talent could outweigh his inexperience was spot on.
If Miami can continue their recent winning ways and make the playoffs, then Gase will have as good a chance as any to end up the Head Coach of the Year. And in a season that has leaped from the drain and to the sky, wouldn’t it be quite a fine bookend to this Cinderella story?! Go fins!!!