The Jets officially named Gregg Williams their new defensive coordinator under head coach Adam Gase on Wednesday.
According to a report by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Williams has agreed to a three-year deal with the team. Williams is flying to the New York-New Jersey area to sign the contract and finalize the deal on Wednesday.
Speaking about Williams for the first time on SiriusXM NFL Radio with Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan, Gase said Williams' defenses have always been a tough challenge, mainly due to their intensity level.
"Well I've known him for a while, obviously with him being down in New Orleans, you know, I met him a while back," he said. "I've always appreciated competing against him. It was always a challenge, always loved the way his guys played, the intensity they played with, they defended every blade of grass. I mean, they would always get after it, it was always really tough to move the ball, it was tough to get in the end zone and you knew you were in for a 60-minute battle. His guys always just always played exactly the way you want a defense to play."
In their pursuit of Williams -- who was the hottest DC candidate despite his checkered past -- the Jets reportedly had competition from the Redskins, but talks had been progressing between the Jets and Williams since last week.
Williams, 60, was on a list of preferred candidates the Jets had for defensive coordinator, along with Vance Joseph, who was hired by the Arizona Cardinals.
New head coach Adam Gase said Monday that his first priority would be locking in his coaching staff.
Williams was defensive coordinator for the Browns the last two seasons and took over as interim head coach following the firing of Hue Jackson where he went 5-3 in eight games.
A message from former #Browns interim coach Gregg Williams to the people of Cleveland pic.twitter.com/BZ5v0a8ZAR
- Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 9, 2019
He has been a defensive coordinator in the league since 1997, with a brief head coaching stint with the Bills from 2001-03. He was at the center of the Bountygate controversy during his tenure with the New Orleans Saints and was out of the league for a three-year period before he was finally hired again in 2014 by Jeff Fischer and the St. Louis Rams.