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December 16, 2021
When the Jacksonville Jaguars lured him from
the broadcast booth to the NFL last offseason, Urban Meyer stepped
into a highly attractive job.
It came
with the first overall pick of the draft (Trevor Lawrence), a bevy of other
high picks, roughly $80 million in cap space to invest in free agency and
an owner willing to provide the support and resources it would take to
transform the team into a championship contender.
However,
through a series of missteps on and off the field, Meyer failed miserably, and
Wednesday night got the axe with Jacksonville owning a
2-11 record and Meyer embroiled in controversy.
Now,
Jaguars owner Shad Khan will try to make amends for a bad hire and attempt to
once again get the franchise back on track. Working in his favor are the
prospects of working with Lawrence and plenty of cap room to help rebuild.
Last
winter, Khan hired Meyer over Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy,
then-San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh (now the Jets’ head
coach), then-Tennessee offensive coordinator Arthur Smith (now the Falcons’
head coach) and now-Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
It’s believed Bieniemy and Morris could
again receive consideration. However, other teams with head-coaching
openings likely will pursue both men. League insiders say there are several other candidates
who seemingly would be good fits in Jacksonville.
Khan has
many decisions to make. Does he pursue someone with extensive
head-coaching experience or a newcomer? The Jaguars need a coach with
strong leadership skills and credibility, particularly after Meyer
destroyed the trust of his players and assistants and cultivated a toxic
culture that extended beyond the locker room and coaches' rooms.
Khan
also must determine the fate of general manager Trent Baalke. Three people
with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports that he helped fuel
the toxic environment while berating and clashing often with players. The
individuals spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of
the subject.
Some
league insiders believe coaching candidates may have reservations about
joining forces with Baalke, who left his previous GM stint (San Francisco)
on bad terms. If that's the case, Khan could wind up making a clean sweep
of the leadership positions and opt for a coach with a strong personnel
track record, or one who would bring with him a talent evaluator with whom
he already shares a good working relationship.
Here’s a rundown of some of the men
expected to draw interest for the job.
Pep Hamilton
The Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator has a strong track record with young quarterbacks, including Andrew Luck and Justin Herbert. He has 24 years of experience on the college and pro levels, working primarily as a quarterbacks coach. His tutelage would benefit Lawrence. Hamilton also served as head coach of the D.C. Defenders of the XFL.
