Joe Douglas focused on hiring coach who will help decide Sam Darnold's Jets future

Joe Douglas still believes Sam Darnold has a bright future, but he wouldn’t commit to it being with the Jets.

Douglas, the Jets general manager, is solely focused on finding a new head coach and the right one to lead this team out of a 10-year playoff drought. They will decide Darnold’s fate together.

"We’re going to get a head coach in here," Douglas said. "We’re going to get together. We’re going to talk about quite a few decisions. I’m excited about Sam."

This was a stark change from the last time Douglas spoke at the trade deadline, when he said Darnold is "our quarterback of the future." A lot has changed since then.

The biggest thing was Adam Gase was fired after the Jets’ 2-14 season. Whoever Douglas hires to lead the Jets will have a say in who is the quarterback, as it should be.

"Any major decision that we have moving forward in terms of the roster, in terms of free agency, draft, anything, our new head coach is going to be a big part of that," Douglas said.

The Jets own the No. 2 pick in the draft so just about all options are available to them. They can draft a quarterback or build around Darnold. But Douglas’ sole focus is on his first coaching search as a general manager.

The process already has begun as the Jets sent out interview requests to various teams seeking permission to speak to their coordinators. They will start scheduling interviews.

Douglas is leading this coaching search, but CEO Christopher Johnson and president Hymie Elhai will be involved.

Douglas said the Jets will "cast a very wide net" and that NFL coaching experience is not a requirement. They will consider college coaches, too, if they meet the criteria the Jets are seeking.

They want a great leader, communicator and partner who can work with everyone. Gase focused just on the offense.

Douglas also said they want a person who has "outstanding vision of what they want the identity of this team" as well as a detailed plan of how to achieve it.

Douglas said he’s looking forward to working with Johnson and Elhai "to find the right type of person that can lead this franchise hopefully for many, many years."

The Jets reportedly requested have permission to speak to Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Kansas City's offensive coordator Eric Bieniemy, Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.

Other possible candidates include Ravens defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley.

"We’re looking for a great partner that’s going to come in here, work hand-in-hand, we’re going to lock arms and we’re going to try and turn this thing around together," Douglas said.

This is a huge offseason for Douglas, who took his share of the responsibility for the Jets’ dismal season.

The Jets have nine draft picks, including four in the first 66, and more than $73 million to spend in free agency. They have holes everywhere. But Douglas is locked in on the big one – a coach.

Douglas made his bones in the NFL as a scout and then as a personnel director in Baltimore and Philadelphia. He said the last coaching search he was a part of was in 2008, but he was "on the outside." He was a scout with the Ravens and his mentor, Ozzie Newsome, hired John Harbaugh.

The well-respected Douglas said he has spoken to some people recently about the process of hiring a coach, what works well and what they would do differently. He didn’t indicate who he talked to, but his relations with executives in Baltimore and Philadelphia remain strong.

"Being in the league for 21 years in personnel," Douglas said, "I’m going to stick to what I know and that’s attacking it like I would a draft, almost like I’m drafting a coach."

That’s just the beginning.

"We’re excited about talking to a candidate to come to this great city, this great market and this great fan base and build something special that hasn’t been done here in a long time," Douglas said. "I think these are exciting times for this franchise, for this fan base. It’s important that we get all these decisions right moving forward."