How Pep Hamilton is putting his stamp on the Houston Texans’ offense and impacting Davis Mills’ progression

By Aaron Wilson

August 11, 2022

HOUSTON — Pep Hamilton is holding an in-depth conversation while meeting virtually with a group of coaches in Los Angeles from his office at NRG Stadium.

 

The topics flow quickly during the fifth annual NFL Quarterback Coaching Summit as the Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator breaks down his offensive philosophy, teaching what he believes in about how to attack defenses and exploit their weaknesses.

 

Among the nuances Hamilton emphasized during a teaching session that included Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Marcus Brady, Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans: Explosive plays and what’s their common denominator, best offensive and worst offensive games, the reason behind those performances, to identifying and dissecting defensive schemes.

 

Pep Hamilton breaks down the game within the game

 

“Do they always match personnel?” Hamilton shares with the group. “Carry or spot drop? Cut crossers. Cover Zero. Pressure issues, base down and distance. Biggest strengths and weaknesses. Tip: What things can you clue in on to give you a good idea of what you’re getting? Corners’ strengths and weaknesses.

 

“Third down. Blitz issues? Red zone: Where does it change from the open field? What does their Zero look like and when to expect it? Red-zone identity. Touchdown common denominators. Fourth down, two-point play, backed up passes, best route to run on each guy, double move, game plan.”

 

It’s a window into how Hamilton sees the game and instructive to how he’s putting his imprint on the Texans’ offense after being promoted from passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach by head coach Lovie Smith.

 

A former head coach and general manager of the DC Defenders in the XFL, Hamilton, 47, coached retired Colts quarterback Andrew Luck as an offensive coordinator, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert as his position coach, was the Cleveland Browns’ associate head coach, and a quarterbacks coach for the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and 49ers. At the college level, Hamilton has worked at Stanford as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and at the University of Michigan as an assistant head coach and passing game coordinator.

 

For Hamilton, it’s all about using all of the information and resources he can supply to teach and inform his players to formulate an effective game plan and strategy to score points and create a balanced, unpredictable variety of play-calling while protecting the football.

 

“It’s important that we have information that we can present to our players,” Hamilton said during the summit. “We’re looking at some of the games where they really had their way against their opponent defensively. You’re always assessing the strengths and weaknesses of not just their scheme, but also their players. Why are they better against certain schemes and certain teams as opposed to others? The first cutup we typically watch is an explosive-plays cutup. What you’ll find out during the course of a season is that if there’s a similar pattern of the types of plays that give them problems there may be something in their scheme or in their rules we can attack.

 

“Getting a sense of a team, the personality of the team, where they are with the current state of their team is a big part of our process. The defensive coordinator, it’s very important we understand their temperament. It’s also important we understand and know historically the schemes and systems he’s been a part of so we can try to anticipate as much as we possibly can what their tendencies are going to be. We’ll do a thorough investigation of the defensive coordinator we’re facing and hone in on what we feel like he’s known for. The defensive identity, the raw data, and the film, it should all correlate to put into compartments based on the tendencies and what you’ve learned by studying them.”

 

The NFL selected Hamilton as presenter for a reason.

 

Credit: Bears Wire – USA Today

 

Hamilton’s background with Andrew Luck and Justin Herbert should reflect on Davis Mills

 

It’s because of his knowledge and acumen and a background working with successful quarterbacks, including Luck and Herbert, a Pro Bowl passer.

 

Now, it’s Hamilton’s job to kick-start a Texans offense from a 4-13 squad a year ago that was one of the least productive in the NFL. Houston finished 30th in scoring, last in total offense and rushing offense, and 28th in passing offense.

 

The few bright spots were the consistent threat of star wide receiver Brandin Cooks and the late-season potential flashed by second-year starting quarterback Davis Mills. Many NFL general managers have indicated that Mills would have been a lock to go in the first round this year had he not declared early for the 2021 NFL draft.

 

Hamilton is tasked as the architect of an offense that needs to significantly upgrade the running game with new backs Marlon Mack and Dameon Pierce, establish imposing wide receiver Nico Collins as a strong complementary presence to Cooks, and improve the pass protection for Mills. Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil is back from thumb surgery that sidelined him last season, and Tytus Howard is back to his natural right tackle spot.

 

With a low-key, introspective personality and a studious approach, Hamilton has built a strong rapport with Mills and the other offensive players.

 

“Pep is the same person every day,” said Mills, who statistically was the second-best rookie quarterback last season behind Mac Jones. “He’s very unique, and I think the control of the offensive unit he has right now is amazing. I’m really excited to see what he can do in year two calling the plays.”

 

Hamilton isn’t inclined toward making predictions, or bold statements about players’ potential. He stays immersed in his work: finding ways to get the offense on track and develop Mills.

 

“Well, it’s our offense, and, as we’ve said from the beginning, it’s about our ability to put our playmakers in a position to make plays,” Hamilton said. “It has nothing to do with anything else. It’s our job to score at least one more point than the opponent, but ultimately you score points by getting the ball to the right guys, and we have the right guys.

 

“I feel like it’s really important that our players embrace what it is that we’re doing. Ultimately, the players, the playmakers, are going to facilitate whatever scheme we come up with as coaches. And they’ll do a great job of working to be the best version of themselves

 

How Hamilton is developing Mills

 

Mills’ development is Hamilton’s big-picture project.

 

At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Mills is a big, strong traditional pocket passer with enough mobility to throw on the run. He went 2-9 as a starter in 11 starts and 13 games played overall as a rookie, completing 66.8% of his throws for 2,664 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions for an 88.8 passer rating.

 

Mills — with the exception of a few practices — has had an encouraging training camp. He has displayed chemistry and timing, especially with Cooks, Collins, and tight end Pharaoh Brown. The way Mills gets the football out of his hand and reads the defense appears sharper and more certain. He’s had greater command of the offense and organized several informal workouts this offseason, including one at his high school in Atlanta where he was a blue-chip recruit and another in Portland, Oregon, where Cooks lives in the offseason.

 

In the final four games of the season, Mills completed 68.9% of his throws to go 2-2 in the final month of his rookie year. During that span, he passed for 927 yards, eight touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 106.1 passer rating.

 

He had 12 touchdowns with one interception in eight home games at NRG Stadium overall and four games with 100+ passer ratings, including a 141.7 mark in a loss to Jones and the Patriots.

 

“We feel like he’s playing faster, and that’s really just processing information as you drop back as opposed to just saying, ‘Okay, what happened pre-snap is the determining factor in where we start,’” Hamilton said. “You’ve got to be able to make post-snap reads, and we’ll continue working on that, but that’s something that I feel like he’s improving that.”

 

Texans hope to build a better running game

 

The Texans were tied for last in the NFL in rushing touchdowns last season with just eight scores on the ground. They averaged a league-low 3.4 yards per carry and gained just 1,422 rushing yards overall. Rex Burkhead, who was re-signed, led the Texans with just 427 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

 

The Texans have hope that Mack — a former 1,000-yard rusher with the Colts — who tore his Achilles two seasons ago, can regain his old form, and that Pierce, an aggressive, downhill-style player from Florida, can energize the running game in a way that didn’t happen last year.

 

“Dameon Pierce has a chance to be an explosive playmaker for us,” Hamilton said. “But first and foremost, good running backs in this league have to be able to play without the ball. So that transition from college football to the NFL, I think the largest curve is just understanding NFL protections, and he’ll continue to work on that throughout training camp.”

 

A year ago, the Texans didn’t have an offense that regularly challenged defenses. That’s not something that Hamilton shies away from. It is his job to anticipate problems, fix them, and create an offense that’s capable of moving the football and finding the end zone.

 

“I think it’s a great opportunity for us to atone for some of the things that happen over the course of last season. To be able to go out and show that we can play at a high level of football more consistently,” Hamilton said. “We had times where we played good football offensively, but there were times also where we tended to make mistakes and create issues for ourselves. Myself and the rest of our of staff have been charged with this duty of making sure we put players in the best position to be successful.”

 

Hamilton draws praise from players

 

As the replacement for former offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, Hamilton is being discussed by players for his creativity and confidence. There’s a lot of energy at camp, and the offense has had its moments where it’s clicking and in sync.

 

“You know, it’s been great, got a lot of respect for Pep,” said Cooks, who signed a two-year, $39.6 million extension this offseason after catching a team-high 90 passes for 1,037 yards and six touchdowns on 134 targets last season.

 

“Pep’s seen a lot of ball, with a lot of great players. To be able to feed off him and learn from him and the offenses he’s been in before was helpful for me and to be able to have that feedback for one another has been great.”

 

During practice sessions, Hamilton is orchestrating his philosophy and finding ways to get the football to the Texans’ skill players. He’s in constant conversation with Mills, huddling with him after plays to discuss the defense and his decisions.

 

“Pep is a smart guy,” Brown said. “He puts us in a lot of good situations and it’s just building on top of that. In the red zone, I caught the fade just one-on-one with a small corner. Today, we came back and hit him with a slant. So now that road is growing, being able to flex out and take advantage of little, small defensive backs.”

 

The tight ends have been a large part of every offense Hamilton has been a part of previously, and there’s expected to be an uptick in targets for them this season.

 

“I love it, I’m excited,” Brevin Jordan said. “Everywhere Pep has been, it shows that the tight ends are very valuable in his offense. So, just tune in.”

 

Trying to put his stamp on an offense in transition

 

The Texans averaged just 16.5 points per game last season. Working with an offensive staff that includes receivers coach and passing game coordinator Ben McDaniels, running backs coach Danny Barrett, offensive line coach George Warhop and tight ends coach Tim Berbenich (his former colleague with the Colts), Hamilton is optimistic about the Texans’ offense this season.

 

“We have a depth of experience, but a diverse group of coaches with regards to our backgrounds,” Hamilton said. “Having the opportunity to go back and coached college football as well as the time that I spent in the XFL, it gave us a good outlook, a different outlook on different ways to really stress the opponent. So, we’ll see. We’ll see when it gets to game day.”

 

“Pep has full control of how he wants to do this,” McDaniels said. “He’s done a great job of preparing us as coaches and players to play effectively within the system. We’re excited to continue to roll through that process.”

 

Brings ‘energy and juice’

 

The Texans need to build a more effective running game to keep defenses honest and execute play-action plays. Mills averaged 7.2 air yards to rank 28th overall last season.

Toward creating more explosive plays, Hamilton believes in a lot of information-sharing and a collaborative approach by listening to players and coaches’ feedback.

 

“Really it’s all about the players and where they are with regards to having a good sense of the foundation of what it is that we want to do,” Hamilton said. “We have constant dialogue with our guys. In our meetings, we treat our meetings as dialogue sessions.

 

“Open discussions about not only our system, but we’re open to ideas that the players may have at times and how we can best feature their talent. It’s all about the players. It’s all about what they know. We want them to be able to go out and play fast.”

 

The outlook for the offense is surrounded by a lot of optimism. The results will tell the story about how effective Hamilton’s playbook and personnel are performing. The early signs, though, are encouraging, and players are upbeat.

 

“I think Pep brings a lot of energy and juice to the offense,” Texans veteran center Justin Britt said. “Good mixture of run and pass and aggression. Without giving anything away really, it’s going to be a fun year. The playbook is exciting, and it all makes sense, and it’s crystal clear, and it gives us a chance to go out there and execute at the highest level.”

 

Aaron Wilson is the NFL Insider for Pro Football Network. Follow him on Twitter: @AaronWilson_NFL.

Texans OC Hamilton bringing new life to offense

Author: Daniel Gotera

Published: 3:23 PM CDT August 6, 2022

HOUSTON — Pep Hamilton is becoming a very popular man within the Texans' ranks.

 

“Pep is the same person every day,” quarterback Davis Mills said. “He’s very unique, and I think the control of the offensive unit he has right now is amazing. I'm really excited to see what he can do in year two calling the plays.”

 

The Texans' new offensive coordinator is generating a lot of buzz as the team continues its work during training camp. Hamilton, who served as the team’s quarterbacks coach a year ago, is anxious to see what his scheme will look like with this group of players.

 

“Well, it's our offense, and as we've said from the beginning, it's about our ability to put our playmakers in a position to make plays,” Hamilton said. “It has nothing to do with anything else. It's our job to score at least one more point than the opponent, but ultimately you score points by getting the ball to the right guys, and we have the right guys.”

 

Hamilton’s resume in the coaching ranks is long. From college, the NFL and even a stop in the XFL in 2020, the Howard University graduate has a proven track record of success, especially with the work he’s done with quarterbacks.

 

Davis Mills is his next project and the growth that he’s seen from year one to year two has been impressive.

 

“We feel like he's playing faster, and that's really just processing information as you drop back as opposed to just saying, okay, what happened pre-snap is the determining factor in where we start,” Hamilton said. “You've got to be able to make post-snap reads, and we'll continue working on that, but that's something that I feel like he's improving that.”

 

Hamilton takes over play-calling for a group that in 2021 ranked 30th in scoring offense in the NFL. They were tied for last in the league in rushing touchdowns and were towards the bottom of the league in passing yards.

 

From the players' perspective, the creativity that Hamilton has brought to the unit is already noticeable.

“You know, it's been great. Got a lot of respect for Pep,” veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks said. “Pep's seen a lot of ball, played with a lot of great players. To be able to feed off him and learn from him and the offenses he's been in before was helpful for me and to be able to have that feedback for one another has been great.”

 

Hamilton knows that there’s a lot of work still needed with this young group, but an improved offensive line, some more talent in the backfield, experience in the receiving corps and a quarterback showing improvement should lead to better results in 2022.

“We have a depth of experience, but a diverse group of coaches with regards to our backgrounds,” Hamilton said. “Having the opportunity to go back and coached college football as well as the time that I spent in the XFL, it gave us a good outlook, a different outlook on different ways to really stress the opponent. So, we'll see. We'll see when it gets to game day.”

Davis Mills: Pep Hamilton brings out the best in quarterbacks

 

Posted by Charean Williams on July 4, 2022, 11:11 PM EDT

USA TODAY Sports

The Texans believe in Davis Mills. Or they at least have seen enough to want to see more of him this season.

The Texans didn’t sign a veteran to compete with Mills for the starting job, and they didn’t draft one. The way Mills played as a rookie won him a chance in 2022 to see if he is the team’s franchise quarterback.

Mills, 23, has a better roster around him this season.

He also now has Pep Hamilton as his offensive coordinator.

“I mean, he’s just a great coach all together,” Mills told John Hunter Crumpler of USA Today on Saturday. “He’s been in the position and done it at a high level for a long time and been around some great quarterbacks and helped them become great quarterbacks. He played quarterback himself and will still come out and sling the ball around at practice to show us what needs to be done.”

Mills played at Stanford. Hamilton worked with another former Stanford quarterback in 2014 with the Colts as Andrew Luck passed for a career-high 40 touchdowns and led the team to the AFC Championship Game.

“He wants the best out of us and we push him as well to give us his best everyday,” Mills said. “We’re all pretty tight in the QB room, and we’re excited to see what’s next this year.”

 

'Attention to Detail': Texans Impressed With New Offense Under Pep Hamilton

 

Throughout the first several practices, the Texans have been high on the play design of offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton

 

COLE THOMPSON

MAY 30, 2022

 

HOUSTON -- It was always going to be Pep Hamilton for the Houston Texans on offense. The question was who would serve as the offensive coordinator's head coach in 2022. 

Following the development of quarterback Davis Mills, the Texans were keen on keeping Hamilton on staff as the new offensive boss. He interviewed for several coordinator positions in the offseason, but with a son starring in Texas high school football, Hamilton wanted to remain in Houston to be close to his family. 

Four months following the promotions of head coach Lovie Smith and Hamilton, Houston is seeing the results it has been hoping for at OTAs. There's a sense of urgency on offense, perhaps one that wasn't there under former offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and head coach David Culley. 

Players have seen Hamilton's play design both in the film room and on the practice field. The consensus impression is that Hamilton isn't in over his head. This isn't his first rodeo commanding the offense. 

"Pep, he is special and a great mind," receiver Brandin Cooks said. "I’ve got a lot of trust in him and just trying to help him be right. We love going to work with him every day.”

Pep Hamilton

Pep Hamilton

Pep Hamilton

The development of quarterbacks has played a pivotal role throughout Hamilton's career. He helped Andrew Luck become a star in Stanford's offense and later the No. 1 pick. The two would reunite in Indianapolis, where Luck put up career numbers on the way to an AFC Championship appearance in 2014. 

Prior to arriving in Houston, Hamilton served as the quarterbacks coach with the Los Angeles Chargers. By Week 2, Los Angeles was forced to play then-rookie Justin Herbert with little experience. By the season's conclusion, Herbert broke every rookie passing record on the way to becoming league's Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

Mills is a different story than both Luck and Herbert. The fellow Pac-12 passers were selected in the top 10 of their drafts. Mills, who broke the Texans' rookie passing record in 2021, was selected in the third round. Should he improve in 2022, the Texans have something in the works for the first time in the post-Deshaun Watson era. 

If not? No harm, no foul. 

One area of improvement for Houston late was at quarterback. Mills finished the final five games of the regular season with a 2-3 record while throwing for 1,258 yards while completing 68.2 percent of his throws. He posted a 9:2 touchdown to interception ratio and finished with a rookie-high 103.9 passer rating. 

"He’s going to be an excellent quarterback in the NFL for a lot of years, but it’s about this year," Smith said. "Having a year, he and Pep Hamilton getting on the same page with our offense, and him being in a role from the start, that’s different also. But that’s what you do."

Cooks and Mills are two players who have become accustomed to working with Hamilton and understand his demeanor. New names, such as offensive lineman A.J. Cann, are just getting introduced to the architect of the Texans offense, though it has gone so smoothly that one would think he's been a part of the process for years. 

"He’s a very detailed coach," Cann said. "He shares a lot of information, but he makes sure we all know what we are doing, each and every day. It doesn’t matter what it is. 

"He’s going to make sure we have a meeting to make sure everyone is on the same page and that’s what you need in an offensive coordinator.”

Under Hamilton, Houston is hoping for better results after mediocre production last season. The Texans finished bottom-five in every offensive category, including 32nd in total offense and run offense. Houston hit new lows in the run game, averaging a franchise-worst 3.2 yards per run.

The Texans return for the second stage of OTAs starting Wednesday, June 1.

Pep Hamilton shines as Texans' biggest victory from coaching shakeup

John Crumpler 

February 21, 2022 6:52 pm CT

It’s official.

On Monday, Feb. 21, 38 days after the dismissal of coach David Culley, the Houston Texans announced a finalized coaching staff under new head coach Lovie Smith. Smith, formerly the defensive coordinator under Culley, has opted not to hire a defensive coordinator and retained Frank Ross as special teams coordinator.

Despite ample speculation that former Texans’ and heavily tenured backup quarterback Josh McCown would join the staff, his name is notably absent. This comes after McCown was considered a finalist for the coaching position and, after Smith’s hire, commentary that the former backup would make a terrific football coach in the future. It’s a bit of a surprise but a welcome one that signals this is truly Smith’s own staff.

With all the hirings official, there is one name that stands out as a glaring victory and the shining star of the Texans’ decision to overhaul their coaching staff this offseason. Pep Hamilton, formerly quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator under Culley, was elevated to offensive coordinator and convinced to stay in Houston despite a multitude of interviews and offers this offseason across the league.

Simply put, Hamilton donning a headset for the Texans’ staff is the franchise’s biggest victory since they defeated the Buffalo Bills in the 2019 playoffs.

Hamilton is massively credited with the development of Justin Herbert during his shocking rookie of the year campaign for the Los Angeles Chargers during 2020. His work with third-round pick Davis Mills, who arguably performed better than any of his 2021 rookie peers at the quarterback position, officially put the league on notice.

During his last tenure in Indianapolis from 2013-2015, the Colts’ offense finished 14th in points scored during his first year and then progressed to sixth in yardage and third in scoring during the 2014 campaign. Hamilton was oddly fired during 2015, a season where Andrew Luck only started seven games behind an atrocious offensive line.

He was the hottest name in the offensive coordinator landscape, and many are projecting he’ll have offers to be a head coach next year. For someone with ample options, it’s a minor miracle he opted to stay in Houston with the current state and reputation of the franchise.

Houston desperately needs help offensively. They finished 28th in passing yards, 32nd in rushing yards, and 30th in points per game in 2021. Make no mistake, Hamilton has his work cut out for him. However, his presence on the team represents Houston’s best chance to improve rapidly across from Smith’s defense.

The right offensive mind can make a world of difference, just look at the Los Angeles Rams or the San Francisco 49ers before the arrival of Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan respectively. If Hamilton is who the league is billing him to be, then Houston could be the site of an offensive renaissance after being burdened with the same Bill O’Brien/Tim Kelly scheme the last three seasons.

He’ll need plenty of help from general manager Nick Caserio. A viable running back, a slot receiver to compliment Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins, and a sizable upgrade for the interior offensive line are certainly on the checklist. If Mills is able to take steps forward during his sophomore campaign and Caserio can just hit a few needs this side of the ball has the potential to improve exponentially from their dreadful 2021 campaign.

Houston, your coaching hiring process was a disaster, but it may have fallen back into a good result. Hamilton provides as much optimism for the Texans’ as they’ve had since the departure of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in 2020.

The Texans employ one of the hottest up-and-coming coaching candidates on the market, someone who may even follow Smith as coach should the 63-year-old choose to retire sooner than expected. A colossal victory for a franchise that hasn’t had many.

Embrace the hope; Hamilton is worth it.

Is Pep Hamilton Texans' Big Offseason Coaching Move?

 

Elevating Pep Hamilton to offensive coordinator after hiring Lovie Smith as head coach could be Texans' most influential decision of offseason.

COTY M. DAVIS
fEBRUARY 9, 2022

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans coaching staff is in the midst of a substantial rebuild for the second consecutive year. 

Lovie Smith, introduced as the fifth head coach in franchise history on Tuesday, is putting together a staff with the intentions of guiding Houston out of football purgatory. Smith has given the daunting task of revamping the inferior offense to Pep Hamilton. 

Hamilton served as the team's quarterbacks coach under David Culley during the 2021 season, but was elevated to offensive coordinator following the hiring of Smith.

Smith, NFL Coach of the Year in 2005, said having Hamilton on his staff "was a must," especially considering the relationship he established with rookie quarterback Davis Mills. There is a chance that Hamilton could be the most significant decision Smith and the Texans make this offseason.

"We have a new challenge," Hamilton said Tuesday. "... It helps when you have an idea of your personnel's strength and weakness, and it is our job as an offensive staff to put our players in a position to utilize their strength." 

One of the lessons Mills learned under Hamilton's tutelage was that scars are a reminder of prospering, and it's one the 47-year-old North Carolina native could utilize for himself taking the reign as Houston's offensive coordinator. 

Amidst a 4-13 season in 2021, the Texans put together the league's most inefficient offense, averaging an NFL low of 278.1 total yards per game while averaging 16.5 points. Fortunately for the Texans, Hamilton has experience taking an inadequate offense and turning it into one of the best in the league. 

In 2013, Hamilton received his first NFL offensive coordinator job with the Indianapolis Colts. Before his arrival, the Colts were a mediocre offensive team at best despite an 11-5 record. Indy ended the 2012 campaign with the league's 18th-best offense. 

The Colts upped their offensive production in two of the three seasons Hamilton served as OC. Hamilton's best season came in 2014 — where the 11-5 Colts averaged 28.6 points and 417.1 total yards. 

With Hamilton helping the Colts reach the AFC Championship game (lost to the New England Patriots), the 2014 season marked Indianapolis' most successful campaign during the post-Peyton Manning era.

"It's always a great opportunity to have one of these 32 jobs to lead an offense in the National Football League," Hamilton said. "It's a collection of people — it's not just coach Smith. But the guys on that staff that are with us moving forward that make you feel good to hit the ground running."

Hamilton had several suitors who sought his services, but ultimately decided to reunite with Smith for the first time since their days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2007-09.

Hamilton has served as the Texans' offensive coordinator for three days since his promotion. And he's already thinking about 2022 and the tools in his possession.

"With some of the known camaraderie in the locker room, starting with Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins and Brevin Jordan, they have shown the ability to step up and be big-time players for us," Hamilton said. "I think any good offense, you have to be able to adjust to your personnel. We will have the flexibility in our offense to execute the strength and true talents of our players."

Potential candidates to replace Urban Meyer with Jaguars

 

Mike Jones

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.