Jaguars oust Marrone after 3rd losing season
The Jacksonville Jaguars, owners of the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, are on the clock.
Doug Marrone, their head coach for the last four seasons, is now off it.
The Jaguars fired Marrone on the heels of Sunday’s 28-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, which closed out a 1-15 campaign, Marrone’s third consecutive losing season. An exciting 2017 Jaguars squad advanced to the conference championship in Marrone’s first full year as head coach, finishing the regular season 10-6.
“I am committed and determined to deliver winning football to the City of Jacksonville,” Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a statement. “Realizing that goal requires a fresh start throughout our football operations, and with that in mind I spoke this morning with Doug to express my gratitude for his hard work over the past four seasons as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.”
But questions at quarterback, dysfunction in the front office and an exodus of talent contributed to Marrone’s
Jaguars record languishing at 23-43 (.348). The team is also looking to hire a general manager after Dave Caldwell was fired in November.
The Jaguars opened 2020 with a 2720 win over their division-rival Indianapolis Colts but would not taste victory again. Their offense and defense ranked among the league’s worst this year. At least the former should receive an immediate spark in 2021, with the widely expected acquisition of Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence as the No. 1 overall pick.
Urban Meyer a possible option? Though the franchise has yet to confirm, the Jaguars have shown interest in former University of Florida and Ohio State University coach Urban Meyer to replace Marrone.
On Saturday, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Meyer has been lining up a staff and telling people he’s close to in the football community that he expects to land in Jacksonville, per sources. The speculation prompted Marrone to call Khan on Saturday to see if it was true.
”He said it was news to him and he would talk to me on Monday,” Marrone said after Sunday’s game.