Doug Marrone’s firing gives Jacksonville Jaguars chance to start rebuilding

The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially parted ways with Doug Marrone.

As recently as last week, it was uncertain whether the Jacksonville Jaguars would retain head coach Doug Marrone beyond the 2020 season. However, the organization has officially parted ways with him in order to start building a competitive football team.

Jaguars owner Shahid Kahn released a statement in which he expresses his desire to build a winning football team. For that to happen, he believes the organization needs a fresh start, thus firing Marrone was in the organization’s best interest. In the same message, he thanked him for his hard work over the last four years. Khan says he is looking for a head coach that shares his passion for the Jaguars and their fans.

It was time for the Jacksonville Jaguars to get a fresh start.

It’s never pleasant to see someone losing their job. Nevertheless, the NFL is a goal-oriented business and Marrone couldn’t deliver many throughout his time in Jacksonville. In his four-year tenure as the head coach, he had a 23-43 record and had just one winning season.

It’s true that former general manager David Caldwell failed to supply enough playmakers and got rid of many of the team’s core players such as defensive end Calais Campbell and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The fact the team couldn’t get their quarterback situation right didn’t help matters either, but regardless of the reason, Marrone couldn’t make it work.

What’s next for the Jacksonville Jaguars?

The Jaguars’ head coaching opening will be one of the most attractive ones in this hiring cycle. The team has 11 draft picks at their disposal, including the first overall selection, and $77.61 million in cap space, per Over the Cap. Former Florida and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has been linked to the team’s vacancy and seems like a favorite to get the job. Although Ryan Day isn’t interested in interviewing, the organization could make him an offer he wouldn’t be able to refuse. It’s uncertain at the time of writing if they are targeting any other candidates but this Jacksonville team will have its fair share of choices and can afford to be picky.

The Jaguars have the resources to quickly turn things around but for that to happen they need to hire the right head coach. Firing Doug Marrone was the first step, they now have to make sure his replacement will do what he couldn’t, win football games.