Report: Jaguars Request to Interview Jets Assistant Marquand Manuel For DC
The Jacksonville Jaguars have put in a request to speak to former Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel, according to reports.
Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz was the first to report the Jaguars want to speak with the current New York Jets safeties coach.
The Jaguars are looking for a new defensive coordinator after firing former coordinator Mike Caldwell on Monday night. The Jaguars also fired seven other defensive assistants, leaving only three of Pederson's 11 defensive staff members left.
The Jaguars finished the 2023 season ranked No. 17 in points per game, No. 22 in yards per game, No. 13 in EPA/Play allowed and No. 12 in Success Rate allowed.
A former eight-year veteran, Manuel has long been one of the core members of the Pete Caroll coaching tree, suggesting that his hire could be a return to Jacksonville's former way of doing things on defense.
Manuel's first coaching gig came as an assistant special teams coach with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. In 2013, the Seahawks made Manuel a defensive assistant before becoming assistant secondary coach in 2014.
Manuel then left Seattle with former Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn in 2015, joining Quinn as defensive backs coach before interviewing with the Jaguars for their vacant coordinator position in 2016.
Manuel was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2017 and spent two years in the role. He then coached under Doug Pederson in 2020 as the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive backs coach. Since 2021, Manuel has been a part of Robert Saleh's staff in New York as safeties coach.
