Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars hired Doug Pederson to be their new head coach this past week, and young quarterback Trevor Lawrence seems pleased with the move. 

He spoke with team reporter Ashlyn Sullivan about the hire:

We're really excited obviously. I talked to him briefly on the phone Thursday night, and then today, first time meeting him in person, just seems like a really great guy. Obviously, he's had a lot of success. His resume kind of speaks for itself. He's an offensive guy, played quarterback in the NFL. All of those things make me really excited, and it's something that I'm just excited to get to work with him and see what he brings to the table. I think everybody's excited. Everybody's really relieved that we got our guy, and to be able to move forward and just go to work now is a good feeling.

It isn't hard to see why Lawrence is excited. He's gaining a head coach who not only played quarterback in the NFL but also won a Super Bowl in 2017 while serving as the head honcho for the Philadelphia Eagles. 

In total, the 54-year-old Pederson went 42-37-1 in five years as Philly's head coach, leading the team to three playoff appearances.

He has extensive experience on the offensive side of the ball, playing 100 NFL games as a quarterback and serving as an offensive quality control coach (2009-10) and quarterbacks coach (2011-12) for the Eagles and an offensive coordinator (2013-15) for the Kansas City Chiefs.

"He played the quarterback position, so he sees it through my lens more so than a lot of coaches that haven't played the position," Lawrence said of Pederson. 

That experience will give him unique insight into working with Lawrence, who flashed potential as a rookie but had his struggles (3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, 59.6 completion percentage). The Jags went just 3-14.

But Pederson's hiring should usher in a period of greater stability than the Urban Meyer experiment, which brought with it one controversy after another during Lawrence's rookie year, most of it centered around the first-time NFL head coach. 

While Pederson's tenure in Philadelphia ended abruptly, the Eagles were consistent contenders under his watch. The Jaguars, meanwhile, have only made the playoffs once since 2007. 

The hope in Jacksonville is that the Pederson-Lawrence pairing will lead the Jags out of yet another rebuild and into contention. Getting the most out of the quarterback is Pederson's top priority.

The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to hire an executive vice president of football operations as part of a front-office restructure.

Jags owner Shad Khan told reporters during head coach Doug Pederson's introductory press conference Saturday that the team will hire an EVP, who will out-rank current general manager Trent Baalke.

Jacksonville also plans to hire another front-office executive who would report to Baalke.

The Jags are coming off a 3-14 season that saw the team fire first-year head coach Urban Meyer after a 2-11 start amid a tumultuous tenure.

Khan noted that the team has filed a request to the NFL to add an EVP to the team.

As ESPN's Michael DiRocco wrote, the Jags went the EVP route before when they brought in former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and gave him control of football operations in 2017. General manager Dave Caldwell was essentially second-in-command.

The team had one of the best seasons in franchise history in 2017, going 10-6 and nearly making the Super Bowl before falling to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

However, that team ended up being a one-year wonder, as the Jags dropped to 5-11 in 2018 and 6-10 in 2019.

Coughlin was let go with a few weeks left in the latter season amid news that over 25 percent of grievances filed through the NFL Players Association over the previous two years were from Jags players. Khan said he planned to part ways with Coughlin at the end of the season regardless.

Caldwell ran the show in 2020 until being fired in November. The Jags then opted to turn to a combination of Meyer and Baalke, but that did not work either.

Now Jacksonville will try another tactic as they bring some fresh faces into the building.

Adding Pederson, who led the Philadelphia Eagles to their only Super Bowl title in franchise history, appears to be a good start as the Jags look to move past four ugly years of football.

The Jacksonville Jaguars introduced new head coach Doug Pederson at a press conference Saturday.

Pederson didn't waste any time before making his ambitions clear:

"The pieces are here—and that's what drew me here," he added.

Pederson, 54, spent a number of years in the NFL as a quarterback, largely as a backup, before transitioning to coaching. He served as an offensive quality control coach for the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2009 and 2010 seasons for the Eagles and was promoted to quarterbacks coach for the 2011 and 2012 campaigns. 

He then followed Andy Reid to the Kansas City Chiefs, serving as the offensive coordinator from 2013 to 2015. 

He returned to Philadelphia as the head coach in 2016, going 42-37-1 in five seasons. He led the Eagles to three postseason appearances and a title in the 2017 campaign. 

Pederson replaces Urban Meyer, who was fired 13 games into his first season in Jacksonville. He inherits a Jaguars team that has promising rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell took over as interim head coach after Meyer's firing. Jacksonville went 1-3 under Bevell to finish the 2021 season with a 3-14 record.

The Jaguars went 2-11 with Meyer at the helm amid a tumultuous tenure. After choosing not to fly back to Jacksonville with the team after its Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Meyer was seen on video in an Ohio bar with a woman who is not his wife dancing near his lap.

NFL.com's Tom Pelissero reported on Dec. 11 that tensions between Meyer and the Jaguars players had "boiled over." Pelissero cited an argument between Meyer and team captain Marvin Jones Jr. in which the veteran receiver angrily left the team facility. Pelissero also added that Meyer referred to his assistant coaches as "losers" during a staff meeting.

On Dec. 15, former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times details of an incident in which Meyer allegedly kicked him while he was warming up during a preseason practice.

After his firing, Meyer told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that details of those incidents were inaccurate.

It didn't take Doug Pederson long to find a new job. 

After being fired by the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason, the 54-year-old agreed to become the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday, owner Shad Khan announced. 

Pederson had a 42-37-1 record in five seasons with the Eagles, reaching the postseason three times. Philadelphia won the only Super Bowl title in its history under his watch. 

But his tenure came to a head in 2020 after a 4-11-1 season. His relationship with quarterback Carson Wentz seemingly soured after he benched him in favor of Jalen Hurts down the stretch, though the decision was also justified given Wentz's poor play. 

Pederson was also roundly criticized for benching Hurts late in the team's Week 17 loss to the Washington Football Team in favor of Nate Sudfeld, a move that seemed aimed at helping the Eagles tank to obtain the No. 6 overall pick rather than No. 9.

While it was the sort of move that many teams make late in a season, it came into particular focus given the game was a prime-time broadcast with the playoff hopes of two teams—Washington and the New York Giants—hanging in the balance. 

And there were reports that Pederson clashed with management over his coaching staff, perhaps the final straw for him in Philadelphia. 

The Jaguars will be happy to have Pederson, though. His offenses between the Kansas City Chiefs when he was offensive coordinator (2013-15) and the Eagles finished top 10 in yardage once and top 10 in points three times. And his signature moment as a head coach will always be the gutsy "Philly Special" trick play on fourth down in the Super Bowl that led to a touchdown. 

His dynamic play-calling and aggressiveness going for fourth downs were a huge part of Philly's identity during his tenure, namely in the Super Bowl run.

The Jags will be hoping Pederson can provide a level of stability that the team simply didn't have under Urban Meyer's trainwreck of a tenure during the 2021 season. Dating back to 2008, the Jaguars have had just one winning season, and since Jack Del Rio was fired in 2011, the team has cycled through six head coaches (Mel Tucker and Darrell Bevell have served as interim coaches in that time). 

Just as importantly, the hope will be that Pederson—who has worked with a number of quarterbacks throughout his career after playing the position and guided Nick Foles to a Super bowl title—can get the most out of Trevor Lawrence, the 2021 top overall pick who had major ups and downs under Meyer.

Lawrence is the face of the franchise, and maximizing his potential is Pederson's top priority.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich is reportedly withdrawing his name from consideration for the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coaching position.

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported former Las Vegas Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia and former Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson have emerged as strong contenders.

Leftwich was once considered the overwhelming favorite to leave Tampa for Jacksonville, returning to the franchise that drafted him No. 7 overall in 2003.

The fallout between the two sides seemingly centers on the presence of general manager Trent Baalke. John Reid of the Florida Times-Union reported Leftwich told Jaguars ownership he preferred to not work with Baalke and wanted them to hire Arizona Cardinals vice president of pro scouting Adrian Wilson as general manager.

Wilson and Leftwich have a relationship dating back to the latter's tenure as an assistant coach in Arizona in 2017 and 2018.

Baalke's presence has in essence turned the Jaguars' coaching search into a complete mess. Bisaccia was not on their initial round of interviews, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the team wants to speak with Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell but can't until after the Super Bowl because he wasn't on their first list of candidates, either.

Pederson was the Jaguars' first interview for the coaching position in December and didn't get a second interview for more than a month. He could wind up getting the job as a result of being the only candidate remaining—albeit one the Jaguars clearly weren't particularly high on early in the process.

Jaguars fans have been revolting against Baalke's continued employment almost since the second Urban Meyer was fired as head coach 13 games into the season. Fans arrived at the season's final home game in full clown regalia, and one fan clamored for Baalke's dismissal over the stadium speakers.

Baalke has been with the Jaguars since 2020 and arrived in Jacksonville with a poor reputation after having a falling out with Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco. A power struggle between Baalke and Harbaugh led to the coach leaving the NFL for Michigan and the 49ers going through a retooling period amid a series of poor decisions made by Baalke after Harbaugh's departure. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars have never won a Super Bowl in franchise history, but they may look to bring in someone who has in an effort to change that.

According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Jaguars plan on interviewing former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson for the second time. This comes after NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the New Orleans Saints also interviewed Pederson as they search for Sean Payton's replacement.

That the Jaguars will interview Pederson a second time is particularly notable since Albert Breer of The MMQB reported he "had trepidation over the setup in Jacksonville."

The organization is certainly a question mark, and it reached the point some fans dressed like clowns for the season finale in protest of owner Shad Khan and general manager Trent Baalke. The AFC South club hired Baalke as the director of player personnel in February 2020, and he moved into the GM role in November 2020.

Jacksonville finished with the worst record in the NFL for the second straight season, this time going 3-14 in a campaign that was largely overshadowed by the hiring and eventual firing of Urban Meyer as the head coach.

Meyer made plenty of headlines off the field and failed to win on it, which has left the team in position to interview candidates such as Pederson this offseason.

The Jaguars have just one winning season since the 2007 campaign, although quarterback Trevor Lawrence provides some hope after they chose him with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He struggled to establish much consistency as a rookie with 12 touchdown passes to a league-worst 17 interceptions, but he wasn't exactly surrounded by top-notch talent.

Pederson has maximized talent in the past and led the Eagles to the Super Bowl title during the 2017 season even after starting quarterback Carson Wentz was lost for the year to injury.

He coached in Philadelphia from 2016 until he was fired in 2020 and finished with a 42-37-1 record while leading the team to the playoffs in three of his five years. By comparison, the Jaguars have been to the playoffs three times in the last 22 seasons.         

Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell has reportedly emerged as a "key candidate" in the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coaching search.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Jaguars are hoping to have an in-person interview with O'Connell this week if the Rams are eliminated from the playoffs. O'Connell, already a finalist for the Minnesota Vikings' coaching job, was not on the Jaguars' initial round of candidates.

However, the Jacksonville job has been shrouded in uncertainty amid concerns candidates have over working with general manager Trent Baalke. Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich had emerged as the favorite for the job but has seemingly fallen back to the pack amid Baalke reservations.

Baalke famously clashed with Jim Harbaugh when the two were with the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers chose Baalke over Harbaugh, a move that proved to be a major mistake and led to a brief rebuilding period after Baalke's own dismissal.

It's unclear whether O'Connell is willing to work with Baalke.

The former NFL quarterback has been an offensive assistant coach for the last seven seasons. He has been the Rams offensive coordinator under Sean McVay since 2020, a position McVay did not have on his staff in two of his first three seasons as a head coach.

McVay remains the Rams' play-caller, meaning O'Connell is a candidate for head coaching jobs without ever calling plays at the NFL level. Jay Gruden called the plays for the Washington Football Team during O'Connell's 2019 stint as their offensive coordinator.

While there is no linear path toward being a head coach, it's interesting—if not downright concerning—the Jaguars have seemingly torn up their initial list of candidates to start anew with O'Connell.

Jacksonville spent the 2021 season mired in a state of disarray under Urban Meyer, who was an abject failure in his attempt to transition from the college game to the NFL. Meyer's miscues as a head coach unquestionably did harm to Trevor Lawrence's development as a passer, with the No. 1 overall pick struggling amid a lack of talent and poor scheming.

The Jaguars' next head coach needs to be a home run to undo the mess of the Meyer era, and it doesn't appear their search is headed in a promising direction.

Former Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio is reportedly a person of interest in the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coaching search.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jaguars sent a private plane to Denver on Monday to pick up Fangio, and he ultimately interviewed for the AFC South team.

The Broncos fired Fangio at the conclusion of the 2021 regular season, while the Jags are looking to replace Urban Meyer, who was fired in the midst of his first season with the team.

In his three seasons as head coach in Denver, Fangio went just 19-30 and failed to take the Broncos to the playoffs.

Fangio is a defensive specialist with plenty of experience as an NFL defensive coordinator, and the Broncos did largely thrive in that area during his tenure.

They were especially good on defense this season, ranking eighth in total defense and third in scoring defense despite finishing with a 7-10 record.

Their biggest issue was offense, as the team never ranked better than 19th in total yardage or 23rd in scoring while Fangio was there.

That largely had to do with the team's inability to find a quality starting quarterback, with Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock both falling short of expectations.

In Jacksonville, Fangio would take over a team that ranked 27th in total offense and 32nd in scoring this season, although there is hope for improvement in the future because of the presence of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Jaguars desperately need to get it right with their new head coach since the hiring of Meyer was an unmitigated failure.

In addition to the team going 2-11 under his leadership, Meyer was responsible for plenty of controversy, including video of him touching a woman who wasn't his wife at his Ohio restaurant and an allegation from former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo that Meyer kicked him before a game.

If the Jaguars hire Fangio, it will come from a place of familiarity, as Jags general manager Trent Baalke and Fangio were both part of the San Francisco 49ers organization from 2011-14.

In addition to Fangio, the Jaguars have interviewed former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.

Hackett and Eberflus are reportedly no longer available after accepting head-coaching jobs with the Broncos and Chicago Bears, respectively.

With Jacksonville's list of candidates dwindling, Fangio landing the job isn't out of the question, especially when considering his connection to Baalke.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to take their time as they search for a new head coach. 

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jaguars are still talking to multiple candidates, including Byron Leftwich and Matt Eberflus, but they "are not close to a deal with anyone at this time" because executive leadership is "still going through the process and figuring out" the right person for the job. 

The Jaguars were one of the first teams in the market for a new head coach after firing Urban Meyer on Dec. 16. 

They have cast a wide net in their search with at least seven candidates brought in for an interview: Leftwich, Eberflus, Todd Bowles, Jim Caldwell, Doug Pederson, Kellen Moore and Nathaniel Hackett. 

There has been recent speculation that Leftwich is the primary target in Jacksonville. The 42-year-old has spent the past three seasons as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator. 

Leftwich knows the Jaguars franchise very well, having played for them from 2003 to 2006 after they drafted him seventh overall out of Marshall. 

Tampa Bay has had a top-three scoring offense in each of Leftwich's three seasons with the team. 

While the Jaguars finished an NFL-worst 3-14 in 2021, their head coaching job might be one of the most desirable this offseason. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is only 22 and one year removed from being the most hyped quarterback prospect in the draft since Andrew Luck in 2012. 

Jacksonville will also have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft to potentially add another franchise player.    

Urban Meyer didn't even make it one season as a head coach in the NFL, and he called the constant losing with the Jacksonville Jaguars the "worst experience" of his professional career.

Meyer, who was fired after a 2-11 start to the 2021 campaign, made an appearance on OutKick's Don't @ Me With Dan Dakich (h/t Steve Gardner of USA Today) and discussed his brief tenure with the Jaguars.

"It was the worst experience I've had in my professional lifetime," he said. "What really got me, I almost don't want to say people accept it, I mean, you lose a game, and you just keep...I would seriously have self-talk. … It eats away at your soul."

The 2-11 record stands in stark contrast to his collegiate career that included head coaching stops at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State. He went 187-32 overall with three national championships as one of the best coaches in college football history.

In fact, he lost a grand total of nine times in seven seasons with the Buckeyes.

Yet Meyer made headlines for more than just his losing with the Jaguars.

Shortly before Meyer was fired, former kicker Josh Lambo told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times the head coach kicked him and cursed at him while he was warming up:

"You know when you come out and say there was a player kicked. ... That's not true," Meyer said Monday. "That's not true at all. To say I didn't tap him with my foot. ... To kick someone? Come on. I've done this 37 years. Kick a player? The other players came up to me and said, 'We saw the whole thing.' Because I'd mostly forgotten about it."

The alleged kicking incident became news after Meyer already made headlines when videos of a woman who was not his wife dancing on him at a bar spread across the internet. It happened after he elected to stay in Ohio following a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals instead of flying back with his team.

What's more, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reported in December, "months of tension surrounding Jaguars coach Urban Meyer has boiled over with multiple run-ins with players and other coaches."

That report also included allegations that he "delivered a biting message that he's a winner and his assistant coaches are losers" while "challenging each coach individually to explain when they've ever won and forcing them to defend their resumes."

From the off-field stories to the on-field lack of success, Meyer's time with the Jaguars could not have gone much worse.

He clearly recognized that given his comments Monday as he reflected on the differences between his time as an NFL head coach and when he was on the sidelines at the college level.