Lovie Smith wants back as DC, should Jacksonville Jaguars pursue him?

The Jacksonville Jaguars need to keep Smith’s failures in mind.

After being given the pink slip in 2012, Smith landed his feet as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach in 2014. He wasn’t able to replicate the success he had in Chicago and was fired after just two years on the job. His recent stay in Illinois was no different and is something that could turn off teams interested in his services.

Nevertheless, Smith’s potential role wouldn’t be the same he had with the Fighting Illini. He won’t need to recruit players and wouldn’t have to oversee the offensive side of the ball. He will just need to do what he does best, coaching defenses.

Smith could be the perfect complement for a head coach that wants input from his staff and is open to listening to a veteran voice. The fact he’s expressing interest in a coordinator job instead of one as a head coach shows self-awareness. Nobody would hand him another head coaching job based on his recent results, but he’s willing to adapt and focus on his area of expertise.

In the end, it will be up to the next Jaguars head coach to choose his defensive coordinator, but Smith’s success coordinating defenses is worth a look and probably an interview.