Cleveland Browns: Jimmy Haslam reportedly interested in Adam Gase
By Dan Justik
The Cleveland Browns search for their next head coach could take a turn due to owner Jimmy Haslam’s interest in recently fired Dolphins head coach Adam Gase.
The expectation heading into the Cleveland Browns search for their next head coach was that general manager John Dorsey would lead the search with little input from owner Jimmy Haslam.
Dorsey is the most established football executive the Browns have recently had under Haslam, so it would have made sense for Dorsey to have most of the control of the search, with Haslam making the final decision on who Dorsey chooses.
However, the search could have taken a turn, due to Haslam reportedly being interested in recently fired Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is interested in Gase, through recommendation of Peyton Manning, per sources. This one would be complicated and intriguing. Gase LOVES Baker. But Landry is also there. Dorsey’s presence creates an unknown.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) December 31, 2018
But worth at least noting: Haslam is intrigued.
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Haslam is close friends with Peyton Manning, as they are both University of Tennessee alumni. Gase was Manning’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for three seasons with the Denver Broncos. Manning was a proponent of Gase’s offense, which helped Gase rise to the top of list of candidates to be a head coach.
Gase received his first head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins in 2016. In his first season with the Dolphins, he led the Dolphins to the playoffs for the first time since 2008 with a record of 10-6. They would lose in the Wild Card game to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Gase was never able to recreate the success he had in his first season, as he finished with below .500 records in 2017 and 2018. The Dolphins were expected to retain Gase before their season finale game or take time to consider their options, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, but owner Stephen Ross made the decision to fire Gase.
In his tenure with the Dolphins, Gase received criticism for not properly using his personnel. He has been known to have created rifts in relationships with multiple players, including current Cleveland Brown wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Landry shared a tweet following Gase’s firing that seemed to be directed at his former coach.
If Haslam is intrigued by Gase, it would not be a surprise to see the 40-year-old coach interview for the Browns head coaching vacancy. Despite Haslam’s interest in Gase, no one knows how Dorsey feels about the former Dolphins coach. Dorsey will likely listen to Landry about how Gase handled the locker room and how he feels about his former head coach.
Browns request permission to interview Patriots' Brian Flores. dark. Next
The Browns are expected to interview multiple candidates for the head coaching vacancy, and Gase will certainly make the list due to his offensive prowess. It will become a question of if Haslam or Dorsey ends up making the decision on the next Cleveland Browns head coach if Gase interviews for the job.