After a 1-15 record during the recent regular season, the Jacksonville Jaguars have taken the appropriate steps to catapult themselves into a full-blown rebuild. Following Week 17, the front office moved on from head coach Doug Marrone, who posted a 23-43 record across five seasons with the team.
On Thursday, it was announced that the team is expected to hire former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer for their head coaching vacancy. The two sides had met multiple times leading up to the agreement, with most ongoing talks regarding facility upgrades and surrounding staff. Per reports, the Jaguars accommodated the requests of Meyer. Previously, the Los Angeles Chargers were interested in Meyer’s services for their respective vacancy.
During his seven-year tenure with Ohio State, Meyer posted a coaching record of 83-9. He had never lost more than two regular season games in a single season. The team was 5-2 in Bowl games, securing a National Championship during the 2014 season.
The Jaguars enter the 2021 season with multiple advantages; the #1 pick in the NFL Draft being one of them. Most assume that Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the future in Jacksonville, but there is a lot of time between now and April 29th.
Jacksonville enters free agency with the most cap space available, and also contains the second-youngest roster in the NFL (behind the Indianapolis Colts). There will be multiple star free agents available in the offseason, which could allow the Jaguars front office to make some moves.
Whatever the case may be, the Jaguars are desperate for success. The team has finished with one winning record since 2008; their 2017 AFC Championship run. A figure such as Pete Carroll emulates the path for college coaches who have found success as an NFL head coach, while a college football legend such as Nick Saban couldn’t get the job done at the next level.
Which path will Urban Meyer follow?
