The Jacksonville Jaguars finally realized that Trent Baalke was scaring away head-coaching candidates when Liam Coen chose to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers instead of interviewing for their vacancy. Following the rejection, owner Shad Khan at last pulled the trigger.
Now, the Jaguars will need to look for a new manager and find a replacement for Doug Pederson. For the time being, Ethan Waugh is serving as the interim and will help the organization conduct the search for a new head coach.
This begs the question, which candidates will be willing to go to Jacksonville after Baalke's ousting? The Jaguars should make a run for the next five.
Steve Spagnuolo, Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator
After firing Doug Pederson, the Jags put in several interview requests. They later added a few names, including Steve Spagnuolo, who's overseen the Kansas City Chiefs defense and has played a massive role in their success.
Spagnuolo has helped develop several players and put together stout defenses in spite of consistently losing key contributors. Moreover, he's got head-coaching experience and has seen first-hand how a winning franchise looks during his stint in Kansas City.
The biggest red flag when it comes to Spagnuolo is that the Los Angeles (St. Louis) Rams struggled to win when he was their head coach. That said, he had no talent to work with at the time and has come a long way since then. It's time he gets an opportunity.
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Following an underwhelming stint with the Carolina Panthers, Joe Brady has made the most out of his chance with the Buffalo Bills. Originally joining as their quarterbacks coach in 2022, he was promoted to interim offensive coordinator the following year when Ken Dorsey got the pink slip. The Bills liked what they saw and gave him the job full-time.
Brady went on to turn the Buffalo offense into a well-oiled machine and has Josh Allen playing the best football of his career. What makes his success more impressive is that the Bills lack star power but have no trouble putting points on the scoreboard.
The downside of making a run for Brady is that the Jaguars will need to wait until Buffalo gets eliminated from playoff contention or win it all to interview him. Still, the wait would be worth it.
Pete Carroll, former Seattle Seahawks head coach
A couple weeks ago, you would've gotten a blank stare if you had suggested the Jags hire Pete Carroll. However, it now looks like a legitimate idea in light of how the coaching search has gone.
Now, Carroll stalled late in his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, but he was one of the hottest coordinators in the NFL throughout most of the 2010s. Who's to say he'll get the most out of a fresh start? If the Jaguars want a coach who can reenergize them from Day 1, Carroll is their guy.
Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
Landing Kliff Kingsbury would be a long shot, but it wouldn't hurt to try. After four disappointing seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, he spent one year coaching at USC before returning to the pros in 2024 as the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders.
During his time with the Commanders, Kingsbury's shown that he can get along with a quarterback, and his offense can remain effective late in the season and well into the playoffs. Those were the biggest red flags when he left the Cards, and it's fair to say that he's vanquished them.
The issue is that Kingsbury isn't taking interviews right now, so Jacksonville would need to wait a few weeks. By then, most candidates will have gotten a job, so they would have to be sure he's their guy.
Robert Saleh, former New York Jets head coach
Robert Saleh's inclusion on this list may come as a bit of a surprise given that he's already interviewed with the Jags once and is slated to meet them again. He might be done by the time you're reading this.
The point is that Saleh is coming off a stint coaching another dysfunctional team, so Trent Baalke's presence may have been a turnoff for him. With the general manager out of the way, he could be incentivized to take the job.
In Jacksonville, Saleh could give the defense a much-needed boost and wouldn't have to worry about the quarterback position because of Trevor Lawrence. If he brings with him an intriguing offensive coordinator and lays out a plan for that side of the ball, he could increase his chances of getting the job.