Who will be the next Jacksonville Jaguars head coach? Doug Marrone fired after 15th consecutive loss
On Monday, December 4, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired head coach Doug Marrone, a little more than 12 hours after the team suffered their 15th consecutive loss this season - a 28-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the 2020 regular-season finale. Marrone took over as interim head coach late in the 2016 season and coached the Jaguars to the AFC Championship Game the following season. His ouster was not a very surprising move, considering the team’s performance this season.
"I am committed and determined to deliver winning football to the City of Jacksonville," Khan said in a statement. "Realizing that goal requires a fresh start throughout our football operations, and with that in mind, I spoke this morning with Doug Marrone to express my gratitude for his hard work over the past four seasons as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. I'll always appreciate Doug's passion, grit, and class, and I'm confident he will enjoy success in the next chapter of his career.”
So, who will be next head coach of the Jaguars?
As of yet, there is no head coach for the team. Khan said in the statement, “As the search for our new general manager continues, now the quest begins to find a head coach who shares my ambition for the Jacksonville Jaguars and our fans, whose loyalty and faith are overdue to be rewarded.”
The Jaguars dismissed general manager David Caldwell on November 28 in his eighth season in the position. Caldwell and Marrone had reported to Khan this season following last December's dismissal of Jaguars' executive vice president of Football Operations Tom Coughlin, who had final say over football decisions from 2017-2019.
As per the Associated Press, it’s unclear whether Khan will hire a general manager or a coach first. Khan has already interviewed former Houston executive Rick Smith, current ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, and former New York Giants GM Jerry Reese for the GM position. As per the same report, three-time national champion Urban Meyer is considered a leading coaching candidate if he decides to leave Fox Sports.
On Saturday, the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport also reported that as per sources, Meyer has been lining up staff and telling people he's close to in the football community that he expects to land in Jacksonville. Rapoport also reported that the speculation prompted Marrone to call Khan Saturday to see if it was true. ''He said it was news to him and he would talk to me on Monday,'' Marrone said after Sunday's game.
Rapoport further reported that if Meyer is not the eventual choice, or decides to stay retired, Jacksonville is expected to look hard at the offensive side of the ball. Ohio State coach Ryan Day, whose team is currently set to face Alabama in the NCAA National Title game, is also set to receive interest from the Jaguars. Sunday's loss marked the Jaguars’ 15th consecutive loss after a Week 1 victory over Indianapolis. It marked the longest losing streak in the franchise's history, two more than a 13-game losing streak that began in the final five games of the 2012 season under head coach Mike Mularkey and lasted through the first eight games of the 2013 season under head coach Gus Bradley.