Todd Bowles told SNY.tv's Jeane Coakley he "was at peace" after the Jets made his firing official Sunday night.
"I think he knew it was coming," Coakley said of Bowles. "I think it's almost like a sigh of relief for him, like it's over. Obviously disappointment, but like he said, he's at peace with it, and that's Todd Bowles, from the beginning to the end."
CEO Christopher Johnson made the firing official Sunday night after their season-ending 38-3 loss to the Patriots, ending his four-year stint with the team.
Bowles went 24-40 as Jets head coach, however the team missed the postseason each year and finished with a top-six draft pick in each of the past three seasons.
Though Bowles deflected questions about his job security immediately following Sunday's loss, he did not blame GM Mike Maccagnan, ownership or the players for his struggles during his tenure.
"He always takes responsibility," Coakley said of Bowles. "Todd never pointed fingers. ... He's a class act, 110 percent. That's why the players loved playing for him, because he was a guy who spoke his mind. It was what it was, but he never blamed anybody else."