Jacksonville Jaguars decision to pursue Robert Saleh as HC makes sense

The Jacksonville Jaguars could target a defensive-minded coach.

Early Monday morning, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced they had parted ways with head coach Doug Marrone. Now that they have started the process of landing his successor, the team could go in different directions. There are many enticing candidates in this hiring cycle but if they are interested in someone with a defensive background they should target San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

The Michigan native has gotten the spotlight thanks to his work with the ‘Niners’ these past two years. He’s becoming one of the hottest candidates this offseason and 49ers general manager John Lynch has already confirmed the Jaguars and two other teams have requested permission to interview the defensive coordinator.

As recently as last week, the ‘Jags’ weren’t sure whether they would keep Marrone beyond the 2020 season, but now that they have given him the pink slip they have wasted no time looking for their next head coach.

So far, this Jacksonville team has been linked to former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, who has shown interest in the job, Tennesee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and Saleh. Looking at how the Jaguars’ defense perform in 2020, pursuing the 49ers defensive coordinator makes sense.