Tag: shad khan

Jaguars owner Shad Khan opens up on why he fired Urban Meyer

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan said his decision to fire Urban Meyer didn’t come down to wins and losses.

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has been quite conservative when it comes to firing head coaches. He relieved Gus Bradley during his fourth season after he amassed a 14-48 overall record and then Doug Marrone who finished his Jaguars tenure with a 25-44 record after four seasons.

However, he didn’t have much patience for former head coach Urban Meyer who was canned after 13 games. Khan spoke with USA Today about why he decided to part ways so quickly with Meyer. The main reason for it stemmed from a lack of trust in him.

“When you lose the respect, the trust and an issue of truthfulness, how can you work with someone like that?” Khan said. “It’s not possible.”

Meyer made several missteps off the field as the Jags’ coach. The most notable was when he elected not to fly home with his team after losing to Cincinnati and then was caught dancing with another woman that wasn’t his wife at a bar. Khan dumped Meyer shortly after former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo alleged that he kicked him as he stretched during pregame warmups.

“It was not about wins and losses,” Khan said. “I think when you know someone is not truthful, how can you be around someone, OK? We had Doug Marrone here four years. We had Gus Bradley here four years. I have nothing but the utmost respect and friendship with them. That’s why they got the time, because it wasn’t a matter about respect or truth. It was a matter of wins and losses over four years. This is much bigger than that.”

Jarrett Bell also reported that the Jaguars and Meyer still haven’t reached a settlement agreement after he was fired for cause. The report said Meyer’s contract with the Jags was a five-year deal worth $10-12 million per year.

Jags’ Shad Khan to meet with front office on Wednesday to go over upcoming draft selections

Shad Khan has been involved a little more this season after a disastrous 2021 season and will be helping Trent Baalke and Doug Pederson firm up their board on Wednesday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a big-time decision coming up this Thursday as they hold the top pick in the NFL Draft. With it being the second consecutive time they’ve done so, it’s a pick they must hit on if they are to climb from the bottom of the NFL.

After a disastrous season under Urban Meyer in 2022, owner Shad Khan has reportedly been at the Jags facility a lot more this offseason. He told Sports Illustrated that he will be returning to it on Wednesday to firm up the draft board and make sure everyone is on the same page heading into Thursday.

In the process, Khan will share his opinion on what direction the team should go in, and then after taking in what coach Doug Pederson, and general manager Trent Baalke have to say, they will decide on pick No. 1.

“Yeah, I have an opinion,” Khan told Sports Illustrated. “I do have an opinion. We are supposed to get together on Wednesday, and so I don’t have as firm a decision as I did maybe last year, but I do have it. I think we’ll have to really firm up the draft board, so we have clarity on all the permutations and combinations we’re gonna hit.”

When it comes to pick No. 1, it’s believed by some that Khan would prefer Michigan edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson. That would make a lot of sense because of how Hutchinson could help the Jags build the right culture. They already have that guy at quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, but more leaders are needed to make the Jags a respectable organization.

On the other hand, Pederson reportedly wants N.C. State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu and Baalke want Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker. If that’s the case, it will be interesting to see what decision is made, but it’s ultimately Khan’s team, so he’s the biggest factor in the decision.

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Jaguars’ Shad Khan takes a slight fall on Forbes wealthiest NFL owners list

Jaguars owner Shad Khan tumbled from fourth to sixth in Forbes list of wealthiest NFL owners.

This year has been tough for most Americans across the country, even for Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan. He is no longer one of the top four wealthiest owners in the NFL, according to Forbes. Khan now sits sixth and isn’t the wealthiest AFC owner anymore.

His net worth, compiled by Forbes, has dipped for the first time since he purchased the franchise in 2012. Khan’s automobile parts and sports empire, which also includes the Fulham Football Club in England and All Elite Wrestling has been estimated by Forbes at $7.6 billion. That’s down from the $8 billion estimated in 2021 and lower than his 2020 net worth of $7.86 million.

Khan ultimately fell to sixth place on that list and now trails David Tepper of the Carolina Panthers ($17.4 billion), Stan Kroenke of the Los Angeles Rams ($10.7 billion), and Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys ($10.6 billion) in the NFC. Then in the AFC, he trails Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots ($8.3 billion) and Stephen Ross of the Miami Dolphins ($8.2 billion).

Khan bought the Jaguars from former owner and businessman Wayne Weaver for $770 million when his net worth was $2.5 billion. Since that moment, the Jags’ team value has increased and they are now worth $2.8 billion, according to Forbes’ last estimation.

Jaguars send a survey to gauge fan feedback on upcoming renovations

The Jaguars sent a survey to season-ticket holders to gauge fan feedback on renovations to TIAA Bank Field on Thursday.

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has long wanted to renovate TIAA Bank Field, and the organization took another step to get the process going this week. The Jaguars sent out a survey Thursday to season-ticket holders asking several questions about what they want to see in upcoming stadium renovations. Here is what a portion of the graphic said:

Two years ago, in partnership with the City of Jacksonville, the Jaguars embarked on a multi-step process regarding the Stadium of the Future. We completed the first few steps and are ready to advance to the next stage of our process. The good news is our work to date suggests that the structural systems of the current stadium are sound and as such we can consider a stadium renovation as opposed to new stadium construction to meet the future needs of our fans and other stakeholders. The next step in the Stadium of the Future process involves you!

The rest of the survey asked for the feedback of fans on the upcoming renovations through several questions, including asking what amenities are most important to them. The Florida Times-Union’s Eugene Frenette also reported that the Jaguars have hired eight sports architects to come up with designs for what the future stadium would look like.

Aside from the team performing better, the Jags should expect several fans to ask for shade as they endure the hot Florida sun during football season. Most of the Jags’ games are at 1 p.m. EST, which means fans are often stuck watching the Jags during the hottest points of the day.

When the results are in, maybe the team could consider a canopy like the one built in Miami at Hard Rock Stadium. That certainly would make game day experiences more tolerable, though winning is ultimately what fans want.

With these renovations, the Jags will be able to extend their lease at TIAA Bank Field, which expires in 2030.

Jaguars to play a game in London through 2024

The Jags announced that they will play one game in London a season through 2024 on Monday.

With the owners meetings currently going on this week, the NFL voted to allow the Jacksonville Jaguars to play games in London through 2024 on Monday. The Jaguars have played a game across the pond since 2013 with every game but one (in 2021) taking place in Wembley Stadium.

Last season the Jags played their game across the pond at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as it was built with the ability to occupy the NFL in addition to soccer. However, Jags owner Shad Khan, who also owns Fulham Football Club of London, has a connection with Wembley Stadium and once put in a bid to purchase it, but eventually withdrew.

Khan expressed his excitement to expand the deal to have more games in London on Monday.

“It’s a great pleasure to be able to announce that the Jacksonville Jaguars will be playing one home game per season at Wembley for three further seasons,” Khan said in a release. “It’s hard to believe it will have been three years since our last game at Wembley. But that changes this autumn, and we look forward to coming back to our London home. We have built a great fanbase already in the UK and I look forward to that increasing as we reaffirm our commitment to the playing one home game per season in the UK  for the long term, as always the ambition when we first played in 2013.”

The Jaguars matchup in 2018 versus the Philadelphia Eagles at Wembley set the record for the highest attendance at a London International Series Game at 85,870. However, it’s worth noting that these games draw in international fans of the NFL in general and not just fans of the teams playing.

Jacksonville currently holds a 4-4 record in games held in London after defeating the Miami Dolphins last season 23-20. It’s unknown who the Jags will play in London this time around, but the Denver Broncos, one of the Jags’ 2022 opponents, have expressed their desire to play an international game.

Jags put search for an EVP on hold, but will continue search for front office help

The search for an EVP for the Jags organization has been pretty quiet, and we now know why.

The biggest question on the minds of Jacksonville Jaguars fans this offseason has been finding out what the team would do about an executive vice president. Of course, this curiosity came when team owner Shad Khan said the organization filed to make the position potentially available within the organization during Doug Pederson’s first press conference.

However, since then, they’ve been mostly quiet (aside from interviewing Rick Spielman before Pederson’s addition) on the search, but with the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine starting today, we now have an update. That update came through NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who says the search for an EVP has been put on hold due to Doug Pederson’s impressive presence. 

As previously stated, the combine is now here, which means free agency is coming up soon, and the draft will follow in April. Simply put, that means it’s a little late in the process to add an EVP, and if it was going to get done, it should’ve been done with Pederson’s hiring or a few days afterward at the least.

Mark Long of the Associated Press added that he was told that Khan had been present at the Jags’ facility often as of late and has been impressed with the professionalism, culture, and chemistry that he’s witnessed with Pederson and Baalke working together. Long also said the Jags would continue to look for pieces under Baalke, which was also mentioned in Pederson’s first presser. 

When considering what the Jags moved on from last year in Urban Meyer, it isn’t a shocker that the culture is headed in a different direction early in the process as Pederson is an experienced and accomplished NFL head coach. However, Pederson and Baalke have yet to make any free agent signings or draft selections together, which is when coach-to-general manager relationships get tested. They also have yet to go through a regular season together, which sometimes leads to finger-pointing in the end, too.

With Khan being a busy man, there will be times when he isn’t going to be able to monitor things in the building in person. That said, when he has to spend weeks or even months away, it will be worth monitoring how well things are going.

As for the EVP search and whether it will continue, only time will provide that answer. A hiring there could happen after the draft, but at this point, it wouldn’t be shocking if Khan held off the search for the rest of the year to see how well the duo of Baalke and Pederson mesh.

Jaguars to play in London once again in 2022

Jacksonville will take the trip across the Atlantic once again in 2022, though its opponent has not been announced.

As was expected but not officially confirmed until Monday, the Jaguars will indeed hop across the pond once again this coming season for a matchup at Wembley Stadium in London.

Last year, the Jags took on the Miami Dolphins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (also in London). That game proved to be Jacksonville’s first win of the season and ended a losing streak that was nearly the longest in league history.

The opponent is yet to be determined. The Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints will also each play a home game in London, with those contests to take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

This will be the Jaguars’ ninth game in London in franchise history. Owner Shad Khan, who also owns Fulham F.C. in London, signed an agreement with the English Football Association in 2012 to play games across the Atlantic for the next four seasons. That agreement was extended to 2020, though no one played in London that season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

No new contract is in place, so for now, whether Jacksonville plays in London will be determined on a year-to-year basis. However, with games being scheduled there in 2021 and 2022, it seems that the team has no intention of ceasing its yearly contest in England.

City of Jacksonville approves 3 permits for sports performance center

The Jaguars’ new facility is one step closer to construction.

Shad Khan’s downtown sports performance complex is one step closer to reality.

Last year, the city agreed to split the cost of the new facility in Jacksonville, and on Wednesday, it issued three permits for the project. The news was first reported by Mike Mendenhall of the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Two of the permits have to do with building the foundations for the facility, while the third has to do with the demolition of underground drainage, light poles, bleacher pads and a small building on the site.

The total cost for the job is expected to be $50,000.

The entire project is estimated to cost a total of $120 million, and when complete, the facility will include indoor, and outdoor practice fields as well as a weight room, medical center, offices, and other team facilities.

There are two permits associated with the project that are still awaiting approval: one for the construction of vertical bleachers with shops below, and the second for the construction of the indoor practice facility.

Though the sports performance center is still a ways away, the red-tape continues to be pulled back on Khan’s facilities upgrade.

4 key takeaways from Doug Pederson’s first press conference as Jags’ HC

Doug Pederson impressed in his initial presser and gave us several key takeaways in the process.

Doug Pederson was named the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach on Thursday and he wasted no time meeting the media on Saturday through his introductory presser. Overall, it was an event that lasted over 40 minutes from the second-time head coach and a lot of great insight was gained in the process.

Most importantly, Pederson knocked the ball out of the park when it came to the interview, despite there being many questions to ask Jags owner Shad Khan and general manager Trent Baalke, too. That said, we’ve gathered some takeaways from the event as Pederson gave us a lot to evaluate through his first interaction with the Jacksonville media:

Report: Shad Khan asked a candidate if they would work with Trent Baalke while he was in the room

According to Mike Garofolo, at least one candidate didn’t feel comfortable answering questions about Baalke directly and honestly.

Jacksonville’s coaching search continues to take wild turn after wild turn. In an interview with 1010XL, NFL insider Mike Garofolo shed some light on the situation, but based on what he’s heard, it doesn’t make the Jaguars — and owner Shad Khan, in particular, look very good.

There’s been a lot of discussion this cycle about candidates being unwilling to work with general manager Trent Baalke. That was rumored to be a major hangup with Byron Leftwich, and now as Doug Pederson returns for a second interview, the team has also interviewed former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman for a high-level front-office position.

Garofolo addressed these rumors, and he stated that he’s heard from some Jags’ sources that the reticence to work with Baalke hasn’t been directly stated in interviews. However, the next bomb Garofolo dropped was truly stunning.

Apparently, according to at least one candidate, Khan is asking interviewees if they would work with Baalke while the embattled general manager is in the room.

“I know I’ve gotten this from one candidate,” Garofolo said. “I know I’ve gotten it. The question about Baalke and his role and all that stuff, that candidate did not answer directly and honestly because Baalke was in the interview room. It’s up to Shad Khan now to either conduct that communication separately or just open up his ears to the rest of the league and the rest of the fanbase and see that there’s uncomfortability there.

“At some point, if that’s really the case — and I have reason to believe it is for at least a couple of guys — why are you dying on this hill? This is not a guy that’s been with your organization for 10-15 years that you feel strongly about, it’s a guy that you were recently introduced to.”

You can see the full interview here.

If this report is true, it’s more damning information about the way the Jaguars have conducted this process. It’s one thing to stick with Baalke in spite of uproar from the fanbase and around the league, but to base that off interview answers that may have been given under duress is just another level of incompetence.

This process has been a disaster so far, and while the Jags could still end up with a great coach out of this whole ordeal, the way Khan has gone about the search continues to embarrass the franchise at each turn.