Tag: candidate profile

Jaguars HC candidate profile: Jim Caldwell

Caldwell has been out of coaching since 2019, but the quarterback guru could be a top option for the Jaguars.

Based on the names that Jacksonville has chosen to interview for its open head coaching job, there are more or less two potential philosophical roads the team could go down with this hire. They could elect to go for a young, up-and-coming coaching prospect like Byron Leftwich or Kellen Moore, both of which would be first-time head coaches but are well-respected offensive minds within the league.

However, they could also look to target a more experienced option. And if the team wants to make a safe but solid hire, it seems likely that Jim Caldwell will be one of the top candidates. Caldwell, who is 67-years-old, has been out of coaching since 2019, but he still carries a fantastic reputation among the league and could be among the team’s finalists.

With that in mind, here’s everything that you need to know about him.

Background

Caldwell began his career at the college level as an assistant before he got his first big break when he was hired as the head coach at Wake Forest in 1993. He spent eight years helming the Demon Deacons, but he notched just one winning season in that span and was fired after the 2000 season. It was at that point that Caldwell shifted gears from college to the NFL, where he has remained ever since.

He was hired by Tony Dungy to serve as a quarterbacks coach in his final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Caldwell followed Dungy to Indianapolis, where he served in the same role from 2002-08. When Dungy retired following the 2008 season, Caldwell took over as head coach.

Under Caldwell, the team went 14-2 in Year 1 and lost in the Super Bowl to the New Orleans Saints. In 2010, the team regressed to 10-6 and was eliminated in the first round of the AFC playoffs. Caldwell’s final season came the following year when the team bottomed out at 2-14 after Peyton Manning missed the entire season. He was fired after Indy’s league-worst finish with a 26-22 total record.

He was immediately hired by Detroit, where he had a winning record in three of four seasons and took the team to two playoff appearances. But after a 9-7 season in 2017, the Lions fired Caldwell in a decision that doesn’t look very wise in hindsight. His 36-28 record in Detroit made him the franchise’s first non-interim coach to finish his career with a winning record since Joe Schmidt, who left the team after the 1972 season.

Caldwell spent the 2018 season as a consultant for the XFL but returned to the NFL in 2019 to serve as the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins. Though he’s interviewed for several head coaching openings, he’s been out of the league since that season.

Why Caldwell could be a good hire?

Right now, this franchise has one major priority: finding the right coach to develop quarterback Trevor Lawrence. After a lackluster rookie season, the new head coaching hire is crucial. Whether that coach is an offensive guy who does the legwork himself or a defensive guy who will hire a quarterback guru offensive coordinator, all of these decisions need to be made with Lawrence’s progress in mind.

And it’s hard to think of a coach with a better track record when it comes to quarterbacks than Caldwell. He was in Indianapolis for the entirety of Manning’s prime, and the Hall of Fame quarterback evolved into one of the best passers the game has ever seen under Caldwell’s tutelage.

He also worked with an elite quarterback in Detroit as Matthew Stafford had some of the best years of his career with Caldwell at the helm. His résumé as a head coach isn’t too shabby either.

Though he finished just above .500 in both of his previous stops, he made the playoffs in four of the seven seasons he’s been a head coach. He’s one of two candidates for this job that has coached in a Super Bowl (the other being former Eagles coach Doug Pederson, who won it after the 2017 season).

Of course, there are concerns with Caldwell. As previously mentioned, he’s 67 and would likely be more of a short-term solution for the franchise, as it’s unclear how much he has left in the tank. He’s also spent the last two seasons away from the league, and his transition back into being a head coach after four years away from that role may not be as smooth as some would think.

But he also has a reputation as a players’ coach, and after the disastrous Urban Meyer tenure that alienated both players and the staff, hiring a high-character coach like Caldwell would represent a complete 180 in terms of culture.

Caldwell is a polar opposite to Meyer in many ways, and though he may not be the most exciting option, he could be just what this team needs to rebuild its organizational reputation.

Jaguars HC candidate profile: Nathaniel Hackett

Hackett, Green Bay’s offensive coordinator, held the same role in Jacksonville from 2016-18.

As Jacksonville continues to progress through its coaching search to replace Urban Meyer, who was fired after 13 games this season, there’s a clear trend toward coaches with offensive backgrounds when it comes to the names being interviewed for the opening. One of those names Jags fans may recall from a few years back is Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who previously held the same role in Jacksonville.

The idea of hiring Hackett isn’t necessarily as flashy as some of the coordinators interviewing for the job, such as Byron Leftwich and Kellen Moore, would be. But with that being said, what’s most important is getting this hire right and especially finding someone who can develop quarterback, Trevor Lawrence.

There’s reason to believe Hackett is capable of doing just that, and here’s what you need to know about him as a potential candidate.

Background

Hackett started his coaching career in 2003 and spent the next seven seasons as an off-field staffer at both the college and pro levels. He got his first big break in 2010 when he was hired to be the passing game coordinator at Syracuse under coach Doug Marrone and was promoted to offensive coordinator the following season.

When Marrone left Syracuse for the Bills job, Hackett returned to Buffalo, where he was an offensive quality control coach from 2008-09, to serve as the offensive coordinator. He held that role for two seasons, but when Marrone opted out of his contract in Buffalo and became the Jags offensive line coach in 2015, Hackett came with him to serve as quarterbacks coach.

Jacksonville fired head coach Gus Bradley and promoted Marrone to the interim role. Marrone in turn promoted Hackett to interim offensive coordinator, and when the former got the full-time job, so did the latter. Hackett was the Jaguars’ play-caller for two seasons, including the 2017 AFC Championship run.

However, after a 3-8 start in 2018, Marrone fired his longtime assistant, who quickly landed in Green Bay as the offensive coordinator. He’s been there for the last three seasons where he has led elite offenses under Matt LaFleur with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers at his disposal.

Why Hackett could be a good hire?

There’s no doubt that Hackett has a polarizing reputation among Jags fans, and some of you likely let out an audible groan upon hearing arguments as to why he could be a good option for the team. It’s true that the offense was never the bright spot of the team under Hackett, with the defense instead leading the team on the 2017 playoff run.

However, Hackett’s work in Green Bay cannot be ignored. This season, the Packers rank 10th in both total offense and scoring offense. That’s actually a step back from last season in which the team had the best scoring offense and fifth-best total offense in football.

Still, considering the Packers entered the season unsure about the future of Rodgers, who has entertained trade talk and was none-too-pleased about the decision to draft a quarterback in the first round in 2020, it’s hard to overlook Hackett’s influence. It also should be worth noting that the Packers have the best record in football, something that Hackett, of course, has played a role in.

Even his time in Jacksonville doesn’t look too shabby in hindsight. After the anemic offenses the team has put out over the last four seasons, 2017’s unit doesn’t seem all that bad. Leonard Fournette ran for over 1,000 yards as a rookie that season, and Bortles had one of the most efficient seasons of his career under Hackett’s tutelage.

Bortles finished with 3,687 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions while completing more than 60% of his passes for the first time in his career. His passer rating of 84.7 was also the second-best of his career behind his prolific but mistake-heavy 2015 season.

The concerns with hiring Hackett are clear. His offenses were middling at best in Jacksonville, Matt LaFleur calls the plays, and it’s hard to run a bad offense when you have Rodgers as your signal-caller. With that being said, Hackett is just 42 and deserves to have his name listed among the up-and-coming coaching prospects in the league. If the Jaguars are set on making an offensive hire, there are worse options than a reunion with Hackett.

Jaguars HC candidate profile: Matt Eberflus

Eberflus, who has been the Colts defensive coordinator since 2018, is one of the most respected assistants in the league.

Jacksonville plans to interview several names to replace Urban Meyer as head coach, but almost all of them have one thing in common: They’re offensive-minded coaches. This is understandable, as the Jaguars have a generational talent at quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, but the previous staff couldn’t take advantage of that during his rookie year.

His development should be the franchise’s top priority, and the best way to ensure that the new coach will help in that regard is to hire one with offensive experience. However, one candidate stands apart from the rest in Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. He’s the only defense-first candidate the Jags plan to talk to right now, and though it may not be the most attractive name on the list, there’s a lot to like about the 51-year-old coach, who plans to interview for the Jacksonville job on Saturday.

Here’s what you need to know about him.

Background

Eberflus has been the defensive coordinator for Indianapolis since 2018, and he carries with him a lot of experience. He’s been an NFL assistant in some capacity since 2009, working as a linebackers coach in Cleveland (2009-10) and Dallas (2011-17), being promoted to passing game coordinator in 2016 at the latter stop before he was hired by the Colts.

He also worked extensively at the college level, serving as an assistant at his alma mater, Toledo, from 1992-00, most recently working as the defensive backs coach. He followed head coach Gary Pinkel to Missouri, where he served as the defensive coordinator from 2001-08, his first defensive play-calling stop.

Eberflus left for the NFL following the 2008 season, where he has worked ever since. He has earned a reputation as one of the top assistants and defensive minds in football, and there’s a reason that the Jaguars aren’t the only team who has requested to interview him for a head coaching opening this cycle. He also had several interview requests last year but ended up staying in Indianapolis. However, he almost certainly has his sights set on being a head coach, and this could be the offseason where he takes that leap.

Why Eberflus could be a good choice?

There’s no denying the impulse to hire an offensive coach for Jacksonville. As mentioned above, nothing is more important than securing the development of Lawrence. Going for a defensive coach is certainly a riskier option with more room to backfire, especially considering the multitude of quality offensive coaches on the interview list.

But with that being said, there’s a reason Eberflus has asserted himself as one of the top coordinators in the game. He’s a fantastic defensive coach, and it’s not like that unit in Jacksonville doesn’t need work. Though it progressed during the season, it’s still a long way from where it needs to be.

Jags fans may not have the best impression of Eberflus’ defense, as they just watched Lawrence pick it apart for the best performance of his rookie season in an upset win that cost the Colts a playoff spot, but that shouldn’t detract from the way the unit has played most of the season. It ranked ninth in the league in scoring defense and 16th in total defense in 2021. That unit was even better in 2020, finishing 10th and eighth, respectively.

Hiring Eberflus would certainly make his offensive coordinator hire crucial, but you don’t necessarily have to hire an offensive head coach to put Lawrence in a system that will suit him. He doesn’t have the same hype as a candidate that options like Byron Leftwich, Kellen Moore or Doug Pederson do, but he’s a very talented coach that will find himself as a head coach sooner rather than later. If he’s the guy that owner Shad Khan ultimately targets, the team could do a lot worse.

Jaguars HC candidate profile: Kellen Moore

Moore has only spent four seasons in coaching, but it’s hard to argue with his track record in Dallas.

Jacksonville faces an important decision this offseason. After essentially wasting quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s rookie season on the failed Urban Meyer experiment, they must get their ongoing head coaching search right. Because developing Lawrence is the top priority, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that many of the names that have been associated with the opening are coaches with extensive backgrounds working with quarterbacks.

There are older candidates with head coaching experience and a good track record with passers like Doug Pederson and Jim Caldwell, but if the Jags wanted to go with a young up-and-comer, it would be hard to find a coach who is a more well-regarded offensive mind than Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

There are other impressive young offensive coordinators available like Byron Leftwich and Nathanial Hackett, but neither carry quite as much of a reputation as Moore. With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about him as a potential candidate.

Background

Moore’s name should sound familiar to college football fans, as he led one of the most exciting mid-major programs this century at Boise State, where he started 50 games (an FBS record) from 2008-11. He was named his conference’s player of the year in each of his final three seasons, and he won the Fiesta Bowl after the 2009 season.

An undrafted player in the 2012 draft, Moore eventually landed with the Detroit Lions, where he spent three seasons as a backup quarterback before taking on the same role in Dallas. He retired from the NFL in 2018, but his knowledge of the Cowboys’ offense proved beneficial, as he was nearly immediately named the team’s quarterbacks coach. One year later, he was promoted to offensive coordinator.

Moore survived the coaching change when Jason Garrett was fired in favor of Mike McCarthy, and he has developed one of the better offenses in the NFL with quarterback Dak Prescott and a talented pair of young receivers in CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.

He’s just 33 and is seen by some as the “coach in waiting” for the Cowboys, but McCarthy probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and he may look to capitalize on his team’s success now.

Why Moore could be a good choice?

Simply put, this team has to find a coach that can take advantage of the talent Lawrence brings to the table. He didn’t have a very good rookie season, but he was also limited by other problems around him, such as receivers with drop tendencies and questionable play-calling. That doesn’t necessarily preclude a defensive hire (though the offensive coordinator hire would be crucial, in that case), it does seem like Jacksonville will try to target a head coach on the offensive side.

Leftwich may be the more popular choice among fans if the team decides to pass on the more experienced options, and there are reasons to like him more as a candidate than Moore. For one, he’s been a coach for longer — though only by one season — and he’s worked for multiple organizations, whereas Moore has been with the Cowboys as a player or coach since 2015.

But there are also question marks with Leftwich, namely the fact that he’s had the greatest quarterback of all time for the last two seasons. While Moore is working with a cupboard that’s far from bare, there are fewer questions about his role in the team’s success on offense.

Moore is significantly younger than Leftwich, and he’s considered something of a prodigy in the NFL when it comes to offense and quarterback play, specifically. He will be a head coach sooner rather than later, and though hiring him could prove to be a bit risky, it could also pay off immensely for a franchise that has been on life support since an AFC Championship appearance in 2017.

Jaguars HC candidate profile: Byron Leftwich

Here’s what you need to know about Leftwich as a candidate for the #Jaguars’ opening.

Since Jacksonville fired head coach Urban Meyer on Dec. 16, there’s one name that has been a popular choice among Jaguars fans: former Jags quarterback and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

In previous years, teams had to wait to interview coaching candidates until after the conclusion of the regular season, but a new rule that was approved just a few weeks ago allows teams to begin interviewing candidates during the final two weeks of the regular season.

Jacksonville has cast a wide net in its search so far, putting in requests to interview several candidates, including former head coaches like Jim Caldwell and Doug Pederson. They’ve also shown interest in young coordinators like Kellen Moore and Nathaniel Hackett.

Leftwich is one of the names that the Jags have requested to interview, alongside Tampa’s defensive coordinator and former New York Jets coach Todd Bowles, and here’s what you need to know about him.

Background

Anyone who’s been a fan of this franchise for a while should be familiar with Leftwich’s playing career. The seventh overall pick for the Jags in 2003, he was drafted as the long-term replacement to the team’s first franchise quarterback in Mark Brunell, who he took over for as a rookie due to injury.

After three lackluster seasons as the team’s starter, Leftwich suffered a season-ending injury six games into the 2006 season and was replaced by David Garrard, who went on to win the job over Leftwich in 2007. The latter was subsequently traded to the Atlanta Falcons, and he finished his career as a backup with the Falcons and Buccaneers, as well as two different stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished his Jaguars career completing 58.7% of his passes for 9,042 yards, 51 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions.

His playing career ended in 2012, and he began his coaching career as an intern with the Arizona Cardinals in 2016, working with quarterbacks. In 2017, he was promoted to quarterbacks coach under head coach Bruce Arians, and under Steve Wilks the following year, he was promoted to interim offensive coordinator to replace the fired Mike McCoy. However, when Wilks was fired following the conclusion of the 2018 season, he wasn’t retained.

Still, Leftwich landed on his feet in 2019 as the offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers in a reunion with Arians. His stint with Tampa Bay has been extremely successful, and it has coincided with the arrival of quarterback Tom Brady, who signed in 2020. Together, Brady and Leftwich’s offense led the team to a victory in Super Bowl LV last season.

Why Leftwich could be a good choice?

Any time an owner makes a hire without NFL head coaching experience, you’re taking a risk. The Jags learned that lesson the hard way this season with Meyer.

But with that being said, the comparison between the two essentially stops there. Leftwich has worked under one of the best coaches in the NFL in Arians for most of his coaching career, and what he’s done with Tampa’s offense is impressive, even with the greatest quarterback of all time at his disposal.

Leftwich is credited with bridging the gap between Arians and Brady, who have fairly different styles, and he even found success in 2019 without Brady. Quarterback Jameis Winston had the most productive season of his career under Leftwich’s tutelage despite throwing 30 interceptions. He broke 5,000 yards that year and tossed 33 touchdowns.

There are fair questions about how well Leftwich would do without Brady and top receiving targets Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but Godwin will be a free agent this offseason, and hiring his offensive coordinator would certainly give Jacksonville a leg up in contract negotiations with the top player at a position of massive need.

As a former Jags player, Leftwich understands the unique situation in Jacksonville. Though his time on the team may not be the most pleasant memory, it’s hard to imagine the 41-year-old coach would turn down the opportunity to coach a generational quarterback prospect in Trevor Lawrence, who hasn’t been very good as a rookie but has shown flashes of elite potential, especially earlier in the season.