5 head coach candidates Jaguars cannot overlook after Doug Pederson's London disaster

For the briefest moment, it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars could start a winning streak when they faced the Chicago Bears in Week 6. However, things quickly went sideways and they ended up losing 34-10. This wouldn't be an issue if they hadn't lost four straight games and the season wasn't slipping through their fingers. The Jags now have five losses, and it's hard to see Doug Pederson keeping his job in 2025. Fortunately for them, there will be several intriguing candidates available next year.

Earlier this season, Jacksonville was linked to Bill Belichick. This made sense when you take into account that he won five Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. Moreover, his area of expertise is defense, and the Jags are struggling massively in that area. That said, "The Hoodie" comes with red flags, such as his inability to rebuild the Pats and replenish the roster after Tom Brady left and his subpar record finding talent in the draft.

The silver lining is that the Jaguars will have several options beyond Belichick. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson should get plenty of consideration. The same is true for Bobby Slowik, the offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans. Jacksonville must interview both of them but they should also keep tabs on the following four.

Robert Saleh, former NY Jets head coach

Robert Saleh became the head coach of the New York Jets after a stellar stint as the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator. He proceeded to put together a stout defense in the Big Apple but his downfall was his inability to find a long-term answer at the quarterback position. This led to the decision to give him the boot five weeks into the 2024 season.

During Saleh's tenure with the Jets, Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers took turns at quarterback. In his defense, he didn't pick any of them and were instead forced on him. It's fair to say that he could turn the Jacksonville defense into a powerhouse and make the Jaguars a contender if he gets a dependable signal-caller. They already have a capable one in Trevor Lawrence, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Steven Spagnuolo, Chiefs defensive coordinator

Back in the 2000s, Steven Spagnuolo rose to notoriety because he was the architect behind the fire zone defense that upset the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 42. Following a successful stint as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, he became the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams in 2009.

Unfortunately for Spags, he had a roster devoid of talent, so he failed and was given the boot in 2011. Since then, he's rebuilt his stock in different defensive roles, and he's once again in the spotlight for his work at the helm of the Kansas City Chiefs defense the past five seasons. It's time Spagnuolo gets another shot at a head-coaching gig.

Jim Bob Cooter, Colts offensive coordinator

After an underwhelming stint as the Jets offensive coordinator in the late 2010s, Jim Bob Cooter enjoyed a career revival as the passing game coordinator for the Jaguars in 2022. While he wasn't the sole reason for their turnaround, he certainly played a role. The Indianapolis Colts liked his work and poached him from their divisional foes to make him their offensive coordinator.

In Indianapolis, Bob Cooter has managed to keep the offense afloat despite the fact that the Colts have been hampered by injuries. Even though they've been without running back Jonathan Taylor, and quarterback Anthony Richardson for stretches, he's managed to make it work.

On top of that, Bob Cooter has gotten the most out of Gardner Minshew and more recently an aging Joe Flacco. That should make him a hot commodity in the next hiring cycle.

Vance Joseph, Broncos defensive coordinator

Vance Joseph was the head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2017-2018. He then took a job with the Arizona Cardinals before returning to Mile High as their defensive coordinator in 2023. While the Broncos have yet to figure things out on offense, their defense has come through the past two seasons.

Denver currently has one of the best three defenses in the NFL, and Joseph is a reason why. He's responsible for turning their secondary into an elite unit and deserves credit for developing Patrick Surtain, Riley Moss, and Ja'Quan McMillan.

Based on his coaching acumen, Joseph could most definitely get the most ouf of Jacksonville's underachieving defense.

Wes Phillips, Vikings offensive coordinator

The Sean McVay coaching tree is one of the best in the NFL right now. The past few years, teams have been looking to pluck coaches or anyone who's had a connection with the offensive mastermind. The Minnesota Vikings saw what McVay was doing with the Los Angeles Rams and chose to bring his offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell aboard in 2022.

O'Connell had success right off the bat, helping the Vikes make the playoffs in his first season at the helm. While they missed the postseason in 2023, they were competitive for most of the year. This is impressive when you take into account that they had a revolving door at quarterback. Still, they managed to stay afloat.

Fast forward to 2024, and Minnesota is at the top of the NFC even though they lost rookie J.J. McCarthy to a season-ending injury. That's partly because former first-round pick Sam Darnold is having a comeback, and the offense is clicking with him at the helm. Of course, that's also possible because of O'Connell, but since the Jags cannot hire him, they should turn their attention to his right-hand man, Wes Phillips.

Like O'Connell, Phillips comes from the McVay coaching tree. In Los Angeles, he was their tight ends coach and later their passing game coordinator. He then became the Vikings' offensive coordinator when he joined his mentor and looks ready to take the next step. Maybe he could take it with the Jags.

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