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Who will be Todd Bowles' next offensive coordinator? (John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

MOBILE, Ala. -- As Jets coach Todd Bowles continues his search for a new offensive coordinator, he broke his silence Tuesday at the Senior Bowl about the retirement of his previous offensive coordinator, 65-year-old Chan Gailey.

Bowles declined to reveal much about his next coordinator, though he did say "I'm pretty sure where I'm going" with the vacancy. Could a hire happen soon?

He spoke more at length -- to NJ Advance Media and one other outlet -- about Gailey. These were Bowles' first public comments since Gailey's retirement.

Bowles said Gailey told him immediately after the 2015 season, last January, that the 2016 season would be his last before retiring. Because Gailey gave Bowles a lot of advance notice, Bowles said it didn't make last season any harder.

"No, because he told me a year ahead of time," Bowles said. "That made it easier for me. This wasn't last minute."

Nonetheless, the Jets' offense was terrible in 2016, for multiple reasons -- from wide receiver Eric Decker's season-ending shoulder injury after three games to quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick's failings. The Jets finished 2016 ranked 31st in Football Outsiders' offensive DVOA ratings.

Bowles refuted the notion that Gailey's pending retirement had a negative impact on how the Jets' offense performed in 2016.

"He worked just as hard, if not harder, this year than he did the year before," Bowles said.

Going into the season, and during it, even those closest to Gailey on the Jets' coaching staff weren't fully aware that 2016 would be his final season, though there was some sense among the other assistants that Gailey might retire. Bowles said only he knew definitively that Gailey was done after 2016.

Bowles initially indicated Tuesday that Gailey gave him a two-year commitment when he was hired before the 2015 season.

"I knew when I hired him he was doing two years," Bowles said. "We talked about it. He wanted to do two years, and that was that."

But Bowles later clarified those remarks about Gailey's retirement plan.

"He didn't say [it was] a possibility when I hired him [that he'd leave after 2016]," Bowles said. "It was just definitive after the first year."

Bowles said he didn't try to convince Gailey to stick around past 2016.

"If you know Chan, you're not going to convince him to do too many things," Bowles said. "He's set in his ways. It was great for me [having him as a coordinator]. It was great for him. We have a very good relationship. We're close. We text every week. I was very happy to have him."

Bowles said he last text messaged with Gailey last week.

As for what Gailey is doing now, Bowles said, "Playing golf. Living the life. When you get to that point, you can do those type of things."

Bowles said he was not disappointed last January when Gailey told him he'd be done after 2016.

"No, I respect Chan to the utmost," Bowles said. "He doesn't do anything without thinking about it -- and for a reason. And I respect his privacy. I won't even go into that. But I love him to death. I still do. I'm happy for him. He wanted to go out his way, and he did."

Bowles has a lot of fond memories from his two seasons with Gailey, even though last season's production failed to match what the Jets accomplished in 2015.

"Chan has been great," said Bowles, a defensive-background coach. "He has great advice as a [former] head coach. He has a good perspective on the game on both sides of the ball. His calmness and understanding of the game are outstanding. I learned some things from him that I wouldn't have gotten from a first-year coordinator -- that helped me on that side of the ball.

"I have a grasp of the offense. It's not so much the plays and the play calling, just so much as philosophies and different situations and different ways of looking at things from an offensive standpoint."

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.