Even if Jacksonville comes away from this coaching carousel with the right guy, it will be hard to avoid criticizing the way the team has gone about the process. Uncertainty with the situation surrounding Trent Baalke (who has retained his spot as general manager, at least for now) seems to have hamstrung the search and has limited what was once a wide candidate pool.
The Jags still don’t have a hire and don’t seem to be particularly close to making one. Rumors broke on Sunday that the team wanted to interview Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, but with Los Angeles bound for the Super Bowl, the team would have to wait two weeks to talk to him after neglecting to interview him before the divisional round.
The franchise — and owner Shad Khan, specifically — has been a frequent target of criticism for the way it has undertaken the search, including from former players. Uche Nwaneri, who spent the bulk of his playing career with the Jaguars from 2007-13, had harsh words for Khan and the front office.
Funny thing about the Jaguars incompetent coach search is that players are entering the arena who NEVER were even considered just 5 days ago. Now the "brain trust" is looking at the Rams OC.
This makes no sense as now the Jags have to wait 2 more weeks to interview. LUNACY🤡
— Uche Nwaneri(The Observant Lineman)♎ #Snydercut (@Chukwu77) January 31, 2022
He certainly raises a valid point. It’s nothing against O’Connell, in particular, as the 36-year-old seems to have a very positive reputation around the league. But if he is such a good candidate, he should have been part of the search from the get-go. It’s too late in the process for surprise candidates to arise, and by not interviewing him before the deadline, the team now finds itself in limbo.
At one point, it seemed like an announcement regarding Byron Leftwich was imminent, but there haven’t been any updates in that regard. There are rumors that Leftwich doesn’t want to work with Baalke, and Nwaneri has his own theory about the situation.
Word on the street is Baalke is actively trying to sabotage Byron Leftwich because BL does not want TB and of course, Baalke is part of the decision making. Doesn't surprise me one bit. If Shad Khan ends up skipping on Byron, will only confirm he should sell the Jags.
— Uche Nwaneri(The Observant Lineman)♎ #Snydercut (@Chukwu77) January 31, 2022
The substance of these rumors is yet to be confirmed or refuted, but it would certainly make sense given Baalke’s reputation around the league if his presence was a sticking point in taking the job. Regardless, this has been a mess for the Jags, and it only gets worse as each day passes without a new head coach being introduced.