Three coaches fifired after regular season ends,

S had Khan has hired coaches and general managers before. He relied on a search firm the first time. He enlisted help from a consultant the second. He listened to friends, family, colleagues and even competitors along the way.

Now, after nine NFL seasons and little success on the field, the Jacksonville Jaguars owner is taking a more hands- on approach to fixing the franchise’s most glaring problems. Khan is handling the search for his next coach and general manager mostly alone, with some help from Jaguars president Mark Lamping.

“I’ m the key de cision- maker,” Khan said Monday after firing coach Doug Marrone a little more than 12 hours after ending the season with a 15th consecutive loss.

Khan plans to have the team’s next power duo report directly to him, a structure he expects will keep him in the loop on major personnel decisions. Khan said he wants to maintain “roster control,” a term he later clarified as “you don’t want players going in and out or contracts given until you’re aware of that.”

Khan also made it clear that finding a franchise quarterback — hello, Trevor Lawrence — is as important as hiring the right people to those key positions. “What’s evaded the history of the Jags really has been a franchise quarterback,” Khan said. “I think what’s unique is we have the ability now to make a choice and it’s going to define the franchise moving forward.”

Marrone went 25-44 in four- plus seasons in Jacksonville, including 2- 1 in the postseason. The Jaguars just missed the franchise’s first Super Bowl in 2017 and have been mired near the bottom of the league since. Marrone lost 21 of his final 24 games, including 15 by double digits.

Khan kept Marrone in place after firing general manager Dave Caldwell in late November, but ultimately decided on a clean sweep.

Three-time college national champion Urban Meyer is considered a leading coaching candidate if he decides to leave Fox Sports and return to the sideline. Meyer won college football titles at Florida ( 2006, ’ 08) and Ohio State ( 2014).

Despite Jacksonville’ s recent struggles, both the coach and GM jobs are generally considered among the most attractive ones open. The Jaguars have five of the first 65 picks in the 2021 draft, including the overall No. 1

selection, and nearly $ 100 million in salary cap space.

Jets

Adam Gase came to New York with high hopes he would be the perfect fit to help quarterback Sam Darnold take the next step in his development and lead the team back to the postseason. None of that materialized, so the search is on — again — for a frustrated franchise.

The Jets fired Gas eon Sunday night, ending a disappointing tenure after two loss-filled seasons. Hired by the Jets in January 2019, Gase went 9- 23 with New York, including an 0- 13 start that was the worst in franchise history — overshadowing even the 1996 squad that went 0- 8 on the way to a 1- 15 finish.

The move was announced by the team a few hours after New York lost 28- 14 at New England to end the season 2-14— the second-worst record in franchise history.

Darnold regressed in his third season before being sidelined twice because of an injured right shoulder, while the offense — ravaged by injuries early, not to mention the impact of the pandemic — was mostly inept. The team ended the season on a relative high note with two wins in the last three games. But those late victories also cost the Jets the No. 1 overall pick in the draft in April — and likely a chance at taking Lawrence. They’ll instead pick second.

Chargers

The Chargers fired coach Anthony Lynn less than two seasons after he led the franchise to the playoffs. Los Angeles won its final four games to finish 7- 9, but it wasn’t enough to save Lynn’s job.

Hired by the Chargers in January 2017, Lynn was the first Black head coach in franchise history. He went 34- 32, but just 12- 20 over the last two seasons. He had one year remaining on his contract.

Bengals

Less than 24 hours after Cincinnati fell flat in the final game of a frustrating season, Bengals president Mike Brown made it clear he still thinks coach Zac Taylor is the guy who can turn the ship around. Taylor is 6- 25- 1 in his first two years as a head coach, including 4- 11- 1 this season.

Fired Jaguars coach Doug Marrone went 25- 44 in four- plus seasons.