Love it or Hate it: Jack Del Rio Fired! Head Coach Candidates to Replace Him…
By Jason Love
Welp, the inevitable has happened. Ol’ Jack of the river has been fired, which should have been expected after the debacle that was the past Texans game. Mel Tucker has been named as the interim head coach, but most likely won’t hold the position of head coach next year. So we must ask ourselves, who will GM Gene find to replace Jack Del Rio? Check after the jump to find a list of candidates.
*BREAKING NEWS* — Wayne Weaver is selling the team, this could drastically alter the landscape of the coaching search…
Let me start off with what I think it will take to fill the void left by Del Rio.
- The head coach will not have player personnel decisions, as GM Gene will retain that power
- Will probably be offensively minded, as I think there is a good chance Tucker could stick around next year
- The coach will have to be an extremely hard worker who shows intense attention to detail
- basically, the coach will most likely fit the description of a Jaguar player
Besides my list, I tend to think that GM Gene could also pull something he’s well known for, pulling some guy from out of left field. Here’s my list of coaching candidates along with some wishful thinking.
UNLIKELY
Bill Cowher — Former Head Coach of Steelers, Current Talking Head — Probably won’t happen as he’ll probably want to stay on TV with its easier scheduling and much less demanding work loads. It would be nice to see him and his fire on the sidelines
Jon Gruden — Former Head Coach, Tampa, Current talking head — Seems interested, but probably won’t leave the cushy seat he currently occupies.
Jeff Fisher — Former Head Coach, Tennessee — We know what the guy is capable of, however, he’ll probably want some sort of GM power.
HAS A CHANCE
Perry Fewell — Defensive Coordinator, NY Giants — Shown an ability to have good defenses, did alright with the Bills as their interim head coach. Experienced.
Rob Chudzinski, Offensive Coordinator, Carolina — A coordinator who has shown creativity in getting Cam Newton going.
Someone on Green Bay’s offensive staff — Look at what that offense has done. Granted, most of the credit could be given to Aaron Rogers, however, the coaching staff has to have something to do with that success. If one of their guys could come in and get Blaine Gabbert on track, the Jaguars prospects of being a playoff team next year could explode.
Mike Zimmer — Defensive Coordinator, Cincinnati — Good reviews from peers. Has had a good defense since taking over. Play with a bunch of cast offs and character issues guys. Has less of a chance than his offensive coordinator.
Jay Gruden — Offensive Coordinator, Cincinnati — Another Coach who has gotten a rookie QB going, but not just a rookie QB, he also has a young offense in general and they consistently put up decent performances. Granted Cinci’s receiving options are better, but the Jaguars have a better backfield and tight end group. If Blackmon or Jeffrey is drafted, watch out.
Besides what I’ve looked into, here are some links to NFL writers who have also written candidate lists.