The Jacksonville Jaguars can look at the college ranks for a new HC.
The Jacksonville Jaguars previously told current head coach Doug Marrone that his job would be safe for the remainder of the season. The possibility of keeping him beyond the 2020 season was also floated not too long ago.
However, after getting soundly defeated in the last three games, it seems like just a matter of time before the ‘Jags’ move on from Marrone. After the team’s Bye Week, the team lost four out of five games by four points or less, but have dropped the last three by a combined score of 98-48.
You could argue the Jaguars have been hindered by injuries. You can also bring up the fact former general manager David Caldwell did a very bad job of acquiring talent. Nevertheless, the team has lost 14 consecutive games with Marrone at the helm.
Players have publicly vouched for Marrone to keep his job and they keep playing hard for him in spite of all the losing, but a fresh start for both the organization and the head coach may be the best thing for both parties moving forward.
While there are some up-and-coming NFL coordinators and there are former head coaches worth interviewing, the Jaguars’ brass may look at the college ranks for their new head coach. If that’s the route they want to take, they could take a look at Ohio State assistant athletics director Urban Meyer.
Urban Meyer is interested in the Jacksonville Jaguars head-coaching job.
Urban Meyer is targeting the Jacksonville Jaguars head-coaching job and has had exploratory discussions with intermediaries about the Jacksonville Jaguars job, according to Kely Rowland of The Blade.
Meyer has built a strong resume coaching at the college level. Under his watch, the Florida Gators won the BCS National Championship Game twice, one in 2006 and the other one in 2008. He then stepped down as their head coach in 2010 due to health reasons and temporarily retired before taking the Ohio State head coaching job in 2012.
Meyer led the Buckeyes to their eighth national championship title in 2014 and was their head coach until 2019, when he retired, citing his health once again as the reason for his decision.
Keep in mind New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who has won five Super Bowls, has a close relationship with him, consults with him multiple times throughout the season, and values his opinion. Merely being friends with Belichick shouldn’t be a reason why an organization hires someone, but the fact one of the greatest head coaches in NFL history listens to what Meyer speaks positively about the Toledo native.
Is the interest between Urban Meyer and the Jacksonville Jaguars mutual?
Urban Meyer’s infatuation with the Jaguars is now known, but is the interest reciprocated? It would be curious to know what those exploratory discussions he has had entailed. As far as we know, the conversation could’ve gone something like this, ‘Hi, how are you, I would like to work for you’.
Also, the fact Meyer is the one making the news public and not the other way around should make everyone wary. Maybe this Jacksonville team is sincerely interested in Meyer’s services, but it’s too early to tell.
Moreover, the Jaguars can’t afford to be picky on this one, as they are likely the top general manager and head coaching destination in 2021. They currently have 11 draft selections at their disposal, including the first overall pick, and $77.61 million in cap space, so they will in a position to choose the best available candidates.
Finally, if Meyer already retired twice due to health reasons, what assures the Jaguars things will be different, or worse, what if he leaves when he sees that things aren’t working out? Meyer has certainly had success at the college level, but it’s uncertain if it could carry over to the NFL. For every Pete Carroll that can make the transition, there’s a Greg Schiano that is unable to adapt to the NFL.
If the ‘Jags’ are interested beyond preliminary talks, they should, by all means, interview Meyer for their potential head coaching opening, but they should err on the side of caution on this one, and don’t forget they will have their share of candidates to choose from.