GM Trent Baalke Reportedly Diminishing Coaching Candidate Interest in Jaguars' Job

Trent Baalke may be a reason some coaches aren’t interested in the Jaguars’ head coaching job.

Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke and Travis Etienne Jr. talk before a Jaguars’ preseason game. / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a job opening this offseason as the team parted ways with Doug Pederson after three disappointing seasons. The coaching search will be led by owner Shad Khan, as well as general manager Trent Baalke who has been in that role since midway through the 2020 season.

The Jaguars have managed just two 9-8 seasons and one playoff appearance in his time in the front office. Overall they're 26-58 since he joined the organization.

Considering the results, it's understandable why confidence in Baalke around the league may not be very high. Much like the situation in New York, there are plenty of people shocked that Baalke didn't meet the same fate as Pederson today.

Worse yet for the Jaguars, it seems his retention might be a detriment for potential coaches as one prominent candidate told On SI's John Shipley:

"For the Jaguars to change direction, you have to actually change direction. Retaining Trent Baalke greatly diminishes my interest in that job. Lot's of promise, but same roadblocks."

Baalke has been working in the NFL since the late 90's, first working as a scout for a number of teams before he caught on the with San Francisco 49ers where he became the director of player personnel and eventual the general manager. He spent multiple years in that job, was named executive of the year in 2011 after he brought in Jim Harbaugh and helped put together a team went to three straight NFC championship games.

After Harbaugh left to coach Michigan, things went south for Baalke. He oversaw the brief Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly eras before he was fired following the 2016 season. He then worked for the league for a couple years before he was hired by Jacksonville.

Experience is not the issue, but the possibility of a bad experience with Baalke as the GM appears to be a major one.

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