Jaguars Head Coach Search: Pros and Cons to Jim Caldwell's Candidacy

Would Jim Caldwell be the right option for the Jaguars as their next head? We take a look at his background to determine if we think he is the right fit for the franchise moving forward.

Well, here we are again. 

One year after the Jacksonville Jaguars conducted a search for a new head coach to replace Doug Marrone, the team finds itself in the same situation this winter, now looking for a replacement for their replacement. 

Names have been thrown around with vigor as potential candidates to replace Urban Meyer, while several interviews have been officially set up between coaches and the Jaguars' brass.

But who is the best candidate for the Jaguars? What does each of them bring to the table, on and off the field? From Jim Caldwell to Kellen Moore and everyone in between, we examine the pros and cons that come with each coach and their potential impact on the Jaguars.

First up in our review of this year's candidates: Jim Caldwell. 

Background

• Iowa (1977): Graduate assistant
• Southern Illinois (1978–1980): Wide receivers coach
• Northwestern (1981): Offensive assistant
• Colorado (1982–1984): Wide receivers coach
• Louisville (1985): Wide receivers coach
• Penn State (1986–1992): Quarterbacks coach
• Wake Forest (1993–2000): Head coach
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2001): Quarterbacks coach
• Indianapolis Colts (2002–2008): Assistant head coach & quarterbacks coach
• Indianapolis Colts (2009–2011): Head coach
• Baltimore Ravens (2012): Quarterbacks coach
• Baltimore Ravens (2012): Interim offensive coordinator
• Baltimore Ravens (2013): Offensive coordinator
• Detroit Lions (2014–2017): Head coach
• Miami Dolphins (2019): Assistant head coach & quarterbacks coach

A four-year starter for Iowa's football program as a defensive back, Caldwell got his start as a coach immediately out of college and with the same program he spent his college years with. He would then spent the next several decades as a wide receiver and quarterbacks coach before being hired to lead Wake Forest as its head coach in 1993, being named the first African-American head football coach in ACC history. 

Caldwell spent eight seasons with Wake Forest, compiling a 26–63 record during that span. Caldwell's next stop would be in Tampa Bay, joining Tony Dungy's staff in Dungy's final year with the Buccaneers. Caldwell would then follow Dungy to the Colts, serving as Dungy's right-hand man and successor in waiting for the entirety of Dungy's tenure with the Colts. 

After Dungy retired following the 2008-2009 season, Caldwell was given his first chance as an NFL head coach, leading the Colts to a 14-2 record and a Super Bowl appearance before falling to the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. Caldwell and the Colts went 10-6 and won the AFC South the very next season until Peyton Manning's neck injury resulted in him missing the entirety of the 2011 season. 

That year, the Colts went 2-14 without their star quarterback and Caldwell found himself fired in favor of Chuck Pagano. Caldwell would find himself as Baltimore's play-caller in a 34-31 victory against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. 

Following the 2013 season, Caldwell was handed the keys to the Detroit Lions' franchise. Caldwell and the Lions went 11-5 with a Wild Card appearance in his first season before going 7-9, 9-7, and 9-7 in the following years. Caldwell was fired after his fourth season with the Lions, ending a tenure that saw him go 36-28 and record two playoff appearances. 

Caldwell joined the Miami Dolphins as the team's assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach in Brian Flores' first season, but he took a medical leave of absence in June before the season began. Since then, Caldwell hasn't coached but he has expressed positivity in his health status and a desire to coach once again.

"Almost back to fighting weight, you know. I feel good," Caldwell said on Glover Quinn's podcast in 2020. "I had an issue that popped up that really was something that could be corrected without surgery. Just a matter of getting a little bit more rest and watching my diet and that kind of thing and exercise, as I've always done, which you well know. I constantly exercise but the interesting thing was I had to change my diet quite a bit."

Pros

The biggest thing Caldwell would bring to the table for the Jaguars is clear -- he would give the Jaguars credibility in leadership, something the franchise has sorely lacked in recent years. Considering this type of credibility and integrity is something Urban Meyer sorely lacked and ultimately even led to his downfall, there are few selling points better than this one.

While there have been some criticisms about the end of Caldwell's tenure in Detroit and his ultimate ceiling, there are zero criticisms when it comes to Caldwell the man. While Meyer was seen as a poor leader by many due to his inability to be accountable, Caldwell is the opposite. He takes the punches on the chin for his players and coaches and twice has had to take the fall for failures that weren't truly his fault. It isn't hard to see why he has been able to gain such a ferocious following of supporters in both coaching circles and locker rooms since. 

In a time in which the Jaguars have been a non-stop drama franchise, Caldwell would be a calming and soothing presence that could quiet the waters and simply help the Jaguars grow up. That is the kind of leader and coach he has been known to be, and that just turns out to be the kind of leader the Jaguars need following Meyer's failures.

On god

— Mal (@jamalagnew) December 27, 2021

Then there is what Caldwell brings to the offense and quarterback position. From  Peyton Manning to Joe Flacco to Matthew Stafford, Caldwell has been instrumental and the development and even the best seasons of a number of established NFL quarterbacks. Caldwell knows the quarterback position like the back of his hand and his background of development at the position speaks for itself. 

Considering the most important player in Jacksonville's future is soon-to-be second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars would be wise to hire a coach who knows what it takes to get the best out of a quarterback, especially a young one like Lawrence. This doesn't mean the Jaguar should only hire a coach with experience at developing quarterbacks, but it is hard to think that having a track record like Caldwell's isn't a major boost to his candidacy in Jacksonville. 

Caldwell's experience as a head coach at two different spots is also a big plus following the Meyer debacle. Meyer didn't know the simple basics of the ins and outs of the NFL, but Caldwell has already proven that he can be a winner as a head coach at this level, which is something not many candidates can say.

Cons

If there is any true con to Caldwell's candidacy, it would center around the circumstances that led to him leaving the Dolphins. Anytime a coach has to leave their post before the season begins is a concern, just as it would be if a player was forced to miss time with injury. 

And while Caldwell has since expressed optimism and positivity about his health scare and what kept him off the sidelines, there will likely continue to be questions about if he is at the stage in his career where he can still be a head coach. Being an NFL head coach is an extremely demanding task that is not for those who are not able to fully commit and buy in, so this is something that would likely count against Caldwell until it doesn't, as unfair as that is. 

There is also the fact that Caldwell is seen as a potentially conservative hire. The long-time offensive coordinator and play-caller and two-time NFL head coach is seen by many as a safe hire -- which is far from a con if you are the Jaguars. But still, many teams are going the opposite route and getting younger and more innovative at head coach as opposed to older and more old-school. 

Caldwell's age (he turns 67-years-old on Jan 16) could also be a turnoff to some. There were seven coaches who were at least 60-years-old entering Week 1 this season, however, including Bruce Arians, Bill Belichick, and Andy Reid. While Caldwell is close to retirement age than he is to his prime, he would not be alone when it comes to being an older head coach.