Interesting perspective from Chicago:
Interesting perspective from Chicago:
Former Bears coordinator Adam Gase proving himself as Dolphins head coach
Matt Moore sat in the office of Dolphins general manager Chris Grier last March discussing whether it made sense for a new regime to continue his long tenure as the team's backup quarterback. Without warning, an unfamiliar face burst in, unannounced and in mid-sentence, talking football and spewing ideas.
"Bouncing off the walls like a little kid on a sugar high," Moore recalled.
"Who in the world was that?" Moore wondered.
"That," Grier told him, "was the head coach."
For those who know Adam Gase, that account will sound familiar — high energy, tirelessly competitive, confident in his convictions. Yep, that's Goose: driven and manic and now infusing his enthusiasm into a revival act in Miami, where the Dolphins have overcome a 1-4 start to become a playoff contender in December.
That quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw nine touchdowns and only one interception during a six-game winning streak that ended last Sunday also seems a predictable encore to Gase's work last season as the Bears offensive coordinator with quarterback Jay Cutler.
In the 11 months since Gase left Chicago, he has cultivated optimism and direction in a once-dysfunctional Dolphins organization. But the NFL's youngest head coach knows his script has barely begun.
As the Dolphins prepared for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Gase channeled his brainpower more toward maximizing Tannehill's passing windows than introspection over his journey. Still, the eyes of the team and league are on him with the playoffs at stake.
That includes interested observers in Chicago. While the Bears take their 3-9 record to Detroit, set to miss the postseason for the sixth consecutive year, some are tempted to contemplate: What if the Bears had hired Gase to replace Marc Trestman in January 2015?
Those who ponder that at least should know there are like-minded folks scattered across America. Gase interviewed with nine teams for their respective coaching vacancies since the 2014 season ended. That's more than a quarter of the NFL.
Naturally, there was intense intrigue about how he would perform once he landed a head coaching job. Gase shared that curiosity while confident in what he learned on his swift rise.
So far, through the twists and turns of this season, he has helped steer the Dolphins to 7-5. Whether it was drafting Laremy Tunsil as the bong-mask video went viral, leaving running back Jay Ajayi home from a trip or just a run of sloppy play, Gase's responses to various challenges are sculpting his identity as a head coach.
"The guys love playing for him and the guys love following him," defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. "He's a fearless leader. He's tough. He's honest. Even when we were 1-4, he didn't flinch."
Leading the pod
While Gase's special ability to relate to people has won over many in the Dolphins organization, this season has been a proving ground for his decision-making, foresight and philosophies as he occupies the main chair.
Much more here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...s-sunday-special-spt-1211-20161210-story.html
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Nice anecdote from Moore at the start
Interesting perspective from Chicago:
Former Bears coordinator Adam Gase proving himself as Dolphins head coach
Matt Moore sat in the office of Dolphins general manager Chris Grier last March discussing whether it made sense for a new regime to continue his long tenure as the team's backup quarterback. Without warning, an unfamiliar face burst in, unannounced and in mid-sentence, talking football and spewing ideas.
"Bouncing off the walls like a little kid on a sugar high," Moore recalled.
Like a Dan Marino spiral whizzing through, the man left just as suddenly as he had arrived, leaving the room behind him more alive."Who in the world was that?" Moore wondered.
"That," Grier told him, "was the head coach."
For those who know Adam Gase, that account will sound familiar — high energy, tirelessly competitive, confident in his convictions. Yep, that's Goose: driven and manic and now infusing his enthusiasm into a revival act in Miami, where the Dolphins have overcome a 1-4 start to become a playoff contender in December.
That quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw nine touchdowns and only one interception during a six-game winning streak that ended last Sunday also seems a predictable encore to Gase's work last season as the Bears offensive coordinator with quarterback Jay Cutler.
In the 11 months since Gase left Chicago, he has cultivated optimism and direction in a once-dysfunctional Dolphins organization. But the NFL's youngest head coach knows his script has barely begun.
As the Dolphins prepared for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Gase channeled his brainpower more toward maximizing Tannehill's passing windows than introspection over his journey. Still, the eyes of the team and league are on him with the playoffs at stake.
That includes interested observers in Chicago. While the Bears take their 3-9 record to Detroit, set to miss the postseason for the sixth consecutive year, some are tempted to contemplate: What if the Bears had hired Gase to replace Marc Trestman in January 2015?
Those who ponder that at least should know there are like-minded folks scattered across America. Gase interviewed with nine teams for their respective coaching vacancies since the 2014 season ended. That's more than a quarter of the NFL.
Naturally, there was intense intrigue about how he would perform once he landed a head coaching job. Gase shared that curiosity while confident in what he learned on his swift rise.
So far, through the twists and turns of this season, he has helped steer the Dolphins to 7-5. Whether it was drafting Laremy Tunsil as the bong-mask video went viral, leaving running back Jay Ajayi home from a trip or just a run of sloppy play, Gase's responses to various challenges are sculpting his identity as a head coach.
"The guys love playing for him and the guys love following him," defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. "He's a fearless leader. He's tough. He's honest. Even when we were 1-4, he didn't flinch."
Leading the pod
While Gase's special ability to relate to people has won over many in the Dolphins organization, this season has been a proving ground for his decision-making, foresight and philosophies as he occupies the main chair.
Much more here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...s-sunday-special-spt-1211-20161210-story.html
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Nice anecdote from Moore at the start
