Since acquiring the Jacksonville Jaguars’ job, Urban Meyer has stressed that he’s been working the phone lines to gauge interest for his staff. He already seems to have his mentor Scott Linehan in mind for the offensive coordinator job, but many have wondered who could be the defensive coordinator.
Per Josina Anderson, one coach on the Jags’ radar is former Atlanta Falcons interim Raheem Morris, as Meyer has reached out to the veteran coach. While nothing has been solidified, Meyer has contacted the veteran coach to gauge his interest in being the Jags’ next defensive coordinator.
I'm told Urban Meyer reached out to & spoke with former #Falcons interim HC Raheem Morris to preliminarily gauge Morris' interest in the defensive coordinator job in Jacksonville, per source.
— IG: JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 15, 2021
Morris, 44, interviewed for the Jags head coaching vacancy last week. He was on the Falcons’ radar for the job, too, after taking over for Dan Quinn, who was fired on Oct. 11. However, it appears Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is Atlanta’s No. 1 choice.
Many have emphasized that Meyer might look for coaches with significant NFL experience to be his lieutenants. Linehan is proof of those speculations and Morris would represent the same on the defensive side. Like Linehan, Morris doesn’t only offer NFL coordinator experience, but he also was a head coach for the Tampa Bay Bucs for three seasons (2009-11).
Under Morris, the Falcons were sixth against the rush, 30th against the pass, and 29th overall in 2019. Under his role as interim, the Falcons went 4-7 and were 1-4 in their division.