What Kind of GM Does Jaguars' Shad Khan Need to Hire?

With the Jacksonville Jaguars having a serious hole at the general manager position, what traits should owner Shad Khan target in the hiring process?

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan during an NFL International Series game against the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has made a number of big moves this month.

First, Khan made the difficult but necessary move to fire head coach Doug Pederson, starting a coaching search that would span for a little over two weeks.

Then this week, Khan made the long-awaited decision to part ways with long-time general manager Trent Baalke. Two days later, Khan officially signed Liam Coen to be the team's next head coach after the most aggressive and pursuit of Khan's ownership tenure.

Now, Khan will have to make yet another significant move as he looks for a new general manager for just the third time in a decade-plus as an owner. And while Khan ran a general manager search in 2021, Baalke was the incumbent candidate who was always a favorite for the job. So in many ways, this is Khan's first time truly looking for a new front office leader since he hired Dave Caldwell in 2013.

That was over a decade ago, and a lot has changed with the franchise since then. In 2013, the Jaguars didn't have much to offer prospective general manager candidates. Back then, the Jaguars were a franchise with little talent on the roster, under fresh ownership, and with some of the league's worst facilities to attempt to sell coaches and players on.

This time, the Jaguars don't have any hard sell to make. The roster already has a franchise quarterback with a long-term contract, a true No. 1 receiver, two productive pass-rushers, two young and talented offensive tackles, a No. 1 cornerback, and more.

The Jaguars also have 10 draft picks in 2025, brand new facilities that rank amongst the best in the NFL, and an owner who badly wants a winner and will do anything he can to produce one.

So, what kind of general manager should Khan look for? Many times, teams turn to candidates who are opposites of the people they just fired. It applies with Pederson and Coen, too, considering the difference in age, experience, and overall energy.

For Khan and the Jaguars, the next general manager hire has to be one who can give the Jaguars a fresh look to teams around the NFL, and one who can live in harmony with his head coach.

Baalke's biggest downfall as general manager was his reputation in coaching circles and, to be more frank, a lack of people skills. The next general manager has to prove he can build and support relationships not just in the building but across the entire NFL.

The next general manager also has to be someone who is in complete lockstep with Coen. While Baalke was a big part of Pederson's hiring and always claimed in public press conferences that they had a good relationship, it was clear the two were not always rowing in the same direction.

For Khan's next hire, he needs a general manager who won't be working in the opposite direction as Coen due to differences in philosophy.

That general manager is out there somewhere. Khan just has to find him.

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