Jaguars to interview Jay Gruden for vacant O.C. position

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field on September 8, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field on September 8, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Jay Gruden becomes the third former head coach to interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars in less than a week.

Add another former head coach to the list of candidates the Jacksonville Jaguars are meeting with to discuss their opening offensive coordinator position.

Jay Gruden, come on down.

If it feels like the Jaguars are moving with a bit more speed in their search to replace John DeFilippo, it’s because the past three days have brought news of the team looking to talk with both Scott Linehan and Ben McAdoo. Now, according to Mike Garafalo and Ian Rapoport, Gruden is the third man who has been linked to the Jaguars.

Gruden was fired earlier this season by Redskins owner Daniel Snyder after spending five-plus seasons in Washington after he spent the previous three seasons as the Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator under Marvin Lewis. Quarterback Andy Dalton had some of his best seasons with the Bengals with Gruden on the sidelines.

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Could that kind of combination with either Gardner Minshew or Nick Foles work in Jacksonville this coming season?

The problem head coach Doug Marrone is going to encounter with any candidate is the short leash the coaching staff has with a mandate from team owner Shad Khan. In his comments from Dec. 31 upon making the decision to retain Marrone and general manager David Caldwell was the need for the team to get better on the field and win more games, especially since the ball club was 4-4 heading into their Week 9 game in London against the Houston Texans.

The loss led to a five-game losing streak where the defense was almost life-less and the run defense torn to shreds.

The 52-year-old Gruden, brother of Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden, was a candidate for the Jaguars open head coaching job after the 2012 season but remained in Cincinnati to run the team’s offense.

Jacksonville has other openings to fill on their offensive coaching staff. Quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich is now the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL. John Donovan, the team’s assistant running backs coach has become the offensive coordinator with the Washington Huskies.