Tag: head coaching search

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.

Tyson Campbell discusses growth as a rookie, vision for team’s future

Campbell said his focus this offseason is improving on all aspects of his game after an impressive rookie season.

It’s hard to evaluate Jacksonville’s 2021 draft class so far. Aside from quarterback Trevor Lawrence, not many of them made much of an impact as rookies. The exception to this is Tyson Campbell, the team’s selection at the top of the second round.

Campbell had some question marks coming out of Georgia, and considering the Jags had used the ninth overall pick on cornerback C.J. Henderson the prior draft, some were critical of the move. However, it has certainly paid off. Henderson was traded to Carolina after just three games, where he has continued to struggle, and Campbell progressed very nicely after being inserted into the starting lineup.

He’s one of the few bright spots this team has moving forward, and he credited both his resolve and his coaches for his steady development throughout the season.

“To begin the season, it was a little bit of growing pains, getting used to the speed of the game and finding myself in the defense,” Campbell said. “But I stuck with it, kept working hard, kept trusting my position coaches, Coach Walton, Coach Joe Danna and just kept pushing, just never gave up and just having faith in God that eventually it’s all coming together for me. When it did, of course, I stayed humble and stayed focused. The main goal is to just get better each and every week and I just took it that way. I took it as a day-by-day mindset just trying to find something to get better at each and every day. (I’m) definitely glad about this win we had yesterday, finishing on the right note, and having some momentum coming into next season. But this offseason, I just want to get better in every aspect whether it be lifting weights and of course working on technique.”

The Jaguars enter a crucial offseason after a 3-14 year awarded them the first-overall pick for the second year in a row. The Urban Meyer experiment proved to be an unmitigated disaster, both on and off the field, and the veteran college coach was fired just 13 games into his Jacksonville tenure.

In replacing Meyer, they must land a coach who can make the right hires to develop the pieces the team already has in place, namely Lawrence, who struggled a bit as a rookie but ended the year with some momentum after his best game of the season in the Week 18 win over Indianapolis.
Campbell said that he has faith in the organization to make the right hire.

Campbell said that he has faith in the organization to make the right hire.

“Just win, that’s about it,” he said when asked what he wants from the next head coach. “Everybody wants to win so everybody has that mindset. We’re going to be in good hands. I trust the management and everyone upstairs to find the perfect coach for this organization, so I have no worries about that.”

Jaguars fans may not be as confident given the team’s 42-119 record since owner Shad Khan bought the franchise in 2012, but it’s interesting insight from one of its top young players, regardless.

Campbell was one of the few bright spots this season, and he seems to be a player the Jaguars can build around. Based on these quotes, it seems as if he’s focused on taking another step forward in his sophomore season.

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.

Jags to interview Colts DC Matt Eberflus on Saturday

Eberflus wanted to wait until after Indianapolis’ Week 18 matchup against the Jaguars to interview for the opening.

With the 2021 season finally behind us, the Jacksonville Jaguars can fully turn their attention to what is the most important coaching search in franchise history. After essentially wasting Trevor Lawrence’s rookie season, the team desperately needs to find the right coach to lead this locker room.

Most of the candidates that the Jags are targeting are offensive-minded coaches, but one of the exceptions is Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. He’s considered to be one of the best assistants in the NFL, and though he delayed the interview process until after Week 18, he’s set to interview for the Jacksonville job on Saturday.

Eberflus reportedly wanted to avoid distractions as Indianapolis entered the regular-season finale against the Jaguars with a playoff spot on the line. Jacksonville’s stunning win — which eliminated the Colts from contention — made that a non-factor moving forward.

The Jags may have some competition if Eberflus is among the top targets, as the Chicago Bears also put in an interview request for Eberflus shortly after firing coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace. He has been a head coaching candidate before, having interviewed with the Houston Texans, New York Jets, and Los Angeles Chargers last cycle.

Eberflus has held his role in Indianapolis since 2018 after a stint as the linebackers coach for the Cowboys from 2011-17, also serving as their passing game coordinator in his final two seasons. He was also the linebackers coach in Cleveland from 2009-10 after a lengthy career at the college level, where he was Missouri’s defensive coordinator from 2001-08.

Considering the importance of developing Lawrence, it seems unlikely that the team goes with a defensive head coach. But if it does, Eberflus is likely the top option, and he’s a guy that’s primed to be a head coach sooner rather than later.

Bill O’Brien to interview for Jaguars coaching job next week

O’Brien was 54-52 in seven seasons as the coach of the Houston Texans.

Jacksonville will be interviewing a wide candidate pool to replace Urban Meyer as the franchise’s head coach, and one of the names on that list will be a familiar one for Jags fans. According to a report from the Florida Times-Union’s John Reid, the team plans to interview former Houston Texans coach and current Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien for the opening.

O’Brien is a bit of a polarizing name in coaching circles, as his success as a head coach has been middling. A long-time assistant with the New England Patriots, he got his first head coaching gig at the college level with Penn State. He replaced Joe Paterno and inherited a program that had been rocked by sanctions in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, and his two winning seasons in Happy Valley were enough to segue into an NFL job with the Houston Texans.

He coached in the NFL from 2014-20, winning the AFC South division in four of his seven seasons at the helm. But he was given general manager duties ahead of the 2020 season, and he made the controversial decision to trade away superstar receiver DeAndre Hopkins. He was fired from both roles after an 0-4 start to the season.

He’s had success with Alabama’s offense this season, coaching the Heisman winner in quarterback Bryce Young as the unit has led the team to a College Football Playoff national championship appearance.

It’s understandable why O’Brien is a candidate for this job, but given his 54-52 record as an NFL coach, there are other candidates with stronger track records, like Doug Pederson or Jim Caldwell.

Still, it’s not a major surprise that the Jags intend to interview O’Brien, and he could be a dark horse candidate if some of the more likely options fall through.

Jags knock out interview with Jim Caldwell on Tuesday

The Jags spoke with Jim Caldwell Tuesday for their coaching vacancy, marking their second consecutive interview of this week.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have started this week off making a great deal of progress on their interviews to fill the head coaching spot left vacant by Urban Meyer, who the team fired on Dec. 18. Last week, they knocked out a scheduled interview with Doug Pederson, and then on Monday, they spoke with Tampa Bay Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles virtually.

However, according to Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union, owner Shad Khan didn’t stop there and jumped right into another interview. On Tuesday, the team spoke with former Detroit Lions coach and longtime NFL assistant Jim Caldwell.

Caldwell is certainly an intriguing candidate who has been associated with the Jags due to having head coaching experience. In addition to holding that role with the Lions from 2014-17, he was a head coach for their divisional rivals in the Indianapolis Colts from 2009–11. Throughout those stints, he went 62-50 and was 2-4 in the playoffs. Additionally, he was able to earn a few Super Bowl titles as an assistant under Tony Dungy (XLI) and John Harbough (XLVII).

In addition to his role as a head coach, Caldwell has held NFL roles with the Bucs, Colts (before becoming their head coach), Baltimore Ravens, and Miami Dolphins as a quarterbacks coach, as well as an offensive coordinator role with the Ravens. Caldwell also held assistant head coaching roles with the Dolphins and Colts and was an interim offensive coordinator for Baltimore before having the interim tag removed.

Many fans have deemed Caldwell as the best fit for the Jags because he seems like a candidate who is the complete opposite of Meyer in terms of leadership and experience. Additionally, his résumé as a quarterbacks coach should be a huge deal for Trevor Lawrence, who hasn’t had the rookie season fans were hoping for.

Report: Cowboys OC Kellen Moore expected to interview with Jaguars late this week

The Cowboys’ rescheduled Week 18 game makes Friday the day Moore will likely talk virtually with Jacksonville about their head coaching job. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys players and coaches saw their work week get condensed slightly when the NFL flexed their Week 18 regular-season finale from Sunday afternoon to Saturday night. The scheduling move means one less day for the team to prepare for a game against the Eagles that means little to the postseason, except to firm up seedings.

But also on the to-do list for offensive coordinator Kellen Moore in that now-abbreviated timeframe? Squeeze in a job interview.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted during Sunday’s Dallas loss that Moore was expected to speak virtually with the Jacksonville Jaguars about their head coaching opening “late next week.”

New league rules this season allow assistants to interview with other teams during Weeks 17 and 18 of the regular season, rather than have to wait until their current team has been eliminated from play.

Following up on that report on-air Monday, Pelissero said that thanks to the Cowboys’ new date in Philadelphia on Saturday, one “can probably infer” that Moore’s interview will likely take place on Friday.

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is also on the Jaguars’ list of candidates; it was reported last week he will not interview for the position during this two-week window.

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Potential Jaguars HC target Byron Leftwich says talking about openings is ‘disrespectful’ to opponents

Leftwich shut down discussions about head coaching positions, stating that he’s focused on the Buccaneers.

Jacksonville needs a new head coach after owner Shad Khan pulled the plug on the Urban Meyer era after just 13 games a couple of weeks ago, and there’s one coach whose name fans should prepare to hear a lot in the coming weeks: Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

It’s a name Jags fans will know well from the 41-year-old coach’s playing days, as the Marshall product was drafted with the seventh overall pick in the 2003 draft by the Jaguars, who selected him as the heir apparent to Mark Brunell. He was Jacksonville’s starting quarterback from 2003-06, and since his NFL career ended, he’s carved out a nice spot in coaching, winning a Super Bowl with Tom Brady as his quarterback last season.

He’s reportedly among the list of names the Jags will look to interview, and he could be a favorite to win the job. But asked if potential head coaching opportunities are on his radar, Leftwich — whose team is in a fight for the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC — shut down those discussions.

“I really think it’s disrespectful to the Jets and whoever you’re playing that week when you’re talking about things that really has nothing to do with Sunday’s game,” Leftwich said Thursday. “I’m completely focused on this football game on Sunday. Obviously, as a coach anytime your name is thrown around, I guess it is what it is, but it really means nothing at this point. It really means nothing at this point and I kind of think it’s disrespectful to the guys that you really work with every day. That’s really how I view that. If I’m ever fortunate enough to be in that situation that’s when I’ll handle it, but as of right now, I’m really focusing on the opponent we’re about to play and getting us ready to try and play our best football.”

After a rule change passed by the league several weeks ago, teams that have fired their coach (or informed the coach of their intent to) may begin interviewing candidates during the final two weeks of the season. When asked if he’d prefer the interview process to take place after the regular season or even the postseason, he said that it’s not something he thinks about.

Leftwich may be focusing on the here and now in Tampa Bay, but Brady, widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time, said that he thinks his offensive coordinator is well suited to lead his own team.

“I’ve been around a lot of great coaches over the years and it’s just a matter of time for different guys when different opportunities come up,” Brady said. “Byron has been amazing for me to work with, and I know he will have a lot of opportunities. He will do a great job.”

Leftwich clearly doesn’t want to talk about other jobs right now, but behind the scenes, he’s likely one of Jacksonville’s top candidates to succeed Meyer.

Jags officially set up interviews with Doug Pederson, Jim Caldwell

The Jags have set up interviews with veteran head coaches in Jim Caldwell and Doug Pederson, two coaches with Super Bowl success on their résumés.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have set up a wide variety of interviews to find their new coach, and as expected, veteran coaches Doug Pederson and Jim Caldwell will be a part of their interview schedule.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was among the reporters to confirm that Pederson’s interview will happen this week, while ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirmed that Jim Caldwell will interview.

Both coaches are options that make sense for the Jags because they are quarterbacks coaches who eventually became head coaches (which is good for Trevor Lawrence) and have winning pedigrees.

Pederson, who was once the Philadelphia Eagles’ coach from 2016-20, garnered a 42-37 head coaching record and was able to capture a Super Bowl LII victory after the 2017 season. He also was able to garner a 4-2 postseason record overall.

Before his run as a head coach, though, Pederson was also an assistant under Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, serving as a quality controls and quarterbacks coach with him in Philly and an offensive coordinator with him with the Chiefs.

As for Caldwell, he was able to garner a 62–50 head coaching record during his stints with both the Indianapolis Colts (2009-11) and Detroit Lions (2014-17) and a 2-4 postseason record. He won two Super Bowl titles as an assistant with the Colts (XLI) and the Baltimore Ravens (XLVII).

Caldwell, who started coaching in the NFL in 2001, has made stops with the Tampa Bay Bucs (in 2001 as a quarterbacks coach) and Miami Dolphins (in 2019 as an assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach). And while he took time away from the game in the process of his stint with Miami, he’s confirmed that he’s now healthy and is ready to return to the NFL.