Duval County is all too familiar with the NFL’s head coach hiring cycle. Since Jack Del Rio’s 2011 departure, Jacksonville has fired and hired six head coaches over the past 15 years.
Fortunately, Shad
Khan finally got it right by bringing in Liam Coen one year ago this week.
Coen led the Jaguars to a 13-4 record that included eight straight wins to end the regular season. Jacksonville made the playoffs for just the fifth time since 1999 and clinched its fifth division title in franchise history. Though the campaign came to an abrupt ending in the Wild Card Round, the future of Jaguars football is certainly bright.
Thank goodness for Liam Coen, and beyond that, thank goodness that the Jaguars got him when they did.
The NFL’s head coach hiring cycle is BONKERS this year. Legends like Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh left storied franchises, and now that the Bills fired Sean McDermott, there are a whopping 10 head coach vacancies across the league (two of which have already been filled).
- Arizona Cardinals: TBD
- Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski
- Baltimore Ravens: TBD
- Buffalo Bills: TBD
- Cleveland Browns: TBD
- Las Vegas Raiders: TBD
- Miami Dolphins: TBD
- New York Giants: John Harbaugh
- Pittsburgh Steelers: TBD
- Tennessee Titans: TBD
Imagine if the Jaguars had given Doug Pederson one more season before cutting ties. Who the heck would they be able to land in this cycle? Robert Saleh? Arthur Smith? *shivers*
The good news is that Jags fans don’t have to worry about their own head coach, but the bad news is that other teams are suddenly eying Jacksonville assistant coaches as options for their own head coaching gigs. Offensive coordinator Grant Udinski is interviewing for the Browns job and has already been requested for a second interview; defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has interviewed with the Dolphins and the Ravens.
I have no doubt that Udinski and (especially) Campanile will be NFL head coaches one day… but hopefully, that day is not imminent. It’d be fantastic for the Jaguars to keep coaching continuity going into Year 2 of the new regime.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
