Jaguars Head Coach Search: 5 Observations as Jaguars Cast Wide Net With Leftwich, Moore, Bowles

The Jaguars' official search for a new head coach has begun. What do we make of the Jaguars search so far and what it could mean for the franchise moving forward?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially kicked off the search for the coach who will replace Urban Meyer, casting a wide net on Tuesday by putting in requests to interview assistants throughout the NFL.

According to multiple reports, the Jaguars have so far put in requests for Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. 

In addition, the Jaguars are also expected to interview former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell and former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson. 

In short, the Jaguars have begun to look far and wide for the next leader of their franchise. From hot-name coordinators to former head coaches to even a former Jaguars assistant, the Jaguars have every type of coach so far on the interview list. 

So, what has the start of the search told us so far and what does it mean moving forward?

Why it makes sense for the Jaguars to cast such a wide net at the start of the search 

The Jaguars didn't pull nearly this amount of legwork during last year's coaching search. The circumstances are clearly different because owner Shad Khan didn't get an early jumpstart last season due to Doug Marrone not being fired until the day after the season concluded. Khan also had his target directly on Urban Meyer from the start of the search last season, so his candidate pool was significantly smaller and consisted of Raheem Morris, Arthur Smith, Eric Bieniemy and Robert Saleh.

This year is clearly different. The Jaguars have not only gotten an early start to the search due to Meyer's Week 13 firing, but the Jaguars are also clearly reaching out to more names and entering this cycle with a fresher perspective than last season. This is needed for a few reasons -- the primary one being Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars need to do everything they can to show to Lawrence that they are serious about finding the right coach after his wasted rookie season. Jacksonville didn't turn over every stone like they needed to a year ago, so it is paramount this year that they adjust their strategy and look near and far for their next head coach. After running such a limited search in 2020, the Jaguars had to reverse their approach completely this year. 

Which internal names should be expected to be interviewed

While it is hard to make an argument to keep members of a team that is on pace to finish as the worst in the entire league, it should still be expected for a few current staff members to be interviewed before this process is over. This is oftentimes standard when there is a search process underway while coaches are still under contract. Ultimately, it gives the franchise a chance to get a new set of ideas of perspectives from coaches who have seen the Jaguars' issues up and front.

Current interim head coach Darrell Bevell makes sense as one name that should be expected to be talked to by Khan and general manager Trent Baalke before the search takes another step. Bevell will have had several weeks in the head coach's chair by that point and will have worked side-by-side with Baalke for a limited period of time. For as bad as the Jaguars' offense has been all season, Bevell is a respected coach whose time leading the Jaguars' offense could at least grant him an interview.

I would also expect for assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach Charlie Strong to get an interview. While Strong has just one year of NFL experience to his name, he earned a lot of respect from the locker room in 2021 and in many ways had to be the adult in the room due to Urban Meyer's ineffective leadership style. Strong shouldn't be considered a leading candidate, but it would be a minor surprise if his ability to rally the troops within TIAA Bank Field doesn't at least earn him a meeting with Khan.

How Trent Baalke's presence could impact the search

The reported decision to retain general manager Trent Baalke during the head coach process has been a decision that has ultimately been clowned on by fans and national pundits and insiders alike. Baalke has helped oversee a 3-28 record over the final two seasons -- first as the director of player personnel and eventual interim general manager in 2020 and then as general manager this season. As such, there is little support for Baalke from outside of TIAA Bank's walls, with many presuming that Baalke's less than stellar reputation in football circles could potentially impact the pool of candidates the Jaguars truly have to pick from. 

Whether that is true or not (and so far there have been no indications this is the case), keeping Baalke on for the start of the search is an odd move that creates an unneeded and almost confusing dynamic for the rest of the process. Baalke will be tasked with helping the Jaguars decide on a new head coach, a head coach that could go on to then help decide Baalke's own fate. If this is the case, then Baalke could of course likely use his influence to push for a coach who would be open to entering a season with a potentially lame duck general manager. Whether Baalke actually remains in place past the head coach search remains unknown because we have yet to hear from Khan, but it is clear that having Baalke in place could have some kind of impact simply because the Jaguars won't be working with a clean slate.

What candidates gain from having mutual interest in the Jaguars

Even with the very public backlash from the Baalke news, candidates should still be lining up to be interviewed by the Jaguars during this early process. And frankly, that has nothing to do with the attractiveness of the Jaguars' job and everything to do with the politics of the NFL and nature of coaching searches. As a result, we should continue to see coaches have interest in speaking with the Jaguars, at least during the early stages of the process.

The Jaguars' job is set to be among the most high-profile of any open job this hiring cycle, largely because of Trevor Lawrence. It won't be the only job, though, and that is key for candidates to remember. By stepping into interviews with the Jaguars, coaches around the NFL can show to other potential employers (and even their current ones) that they are wanted commodities across the NFL. What better way to pad a resume than to show that another team wants to hear one's thoughts and could potentially step in to make a hire. The Jaguars are lucky enough to get out in front of their coaching search before any other team, so they can use that natural leverage to continue to get candidates in interviews with them, which benefits both the coaches and the Jaguars as an organization. 

Timing continues to be paramount during the search for Urban Meyer's replacement 

The most appealing aspect about the Jaguars' job outside of having the chance to develop Trevor Lawrence isn't Jacksonville's cap space, draft ammo, or Florida's lack of income tax. Instead it is the fact that, well, the job is actually open. There will undoubtedly be other head coaching positions open as the weeks go by, but for now the Jaguars have one of the two available NFL head coaching jobs in the world. Only 32 of such jobs exist, and the Jaguars can stake their claim as one of the only teams currently hiring.

As such, it is important for the Jaguars to act swiftly. The Jaguars job will look attractive only until other jobs become readily available, especially in the wake of the Baalke news. The Jaguars have an advantage over every team but the Raiders when it comes to the timing of their search, and not taking advantage of it would be a critical mistake to make, especially at this point.