Jaguars Fire Coach Jack Del Rio

by Neal Coolong on Nov 29, 2011 9:03 AM EST in NFL News

Reports came out Tuesday morning Jacksonville has fired head coach Jack Del Rio amid a 3-8 season that has seen some of the lowest offensive production numbers in team history.

Del Rio has coached the Jaguars since 2003, and saw a moderate run of success in the middle part of the last decade. He is the first and only coach to lead a team to two victories over the Steelers in Pittsburgh.

Del Rio's Jaguars converted a controversial 4th-and-short in the 2007 Wild Card Round playoff game in Pittsburgh that sealed a 31-29 victory. They defeated the Steelers 29-22 in Week 15 that same year.

It turned downhill for the Jaguars after that season - that ended in a 31-20 loss at undefeated New England. His teams are 23-36 (.389) since the 2007 season. A slew of bad draft picks came in the years to follow, and the team has not been able to find much offensive help to go alongside franchise player RB Maurice Jones-Drew.

Surprisingly, they elected to release veteran QB David Garrard right before the start of the 2011 season. He was replaced by Luke McCown, who played horribly before being replaced by rookie (and first-round draft pick) Blaine Gabbert.

Some suggested at the time Del Rio released Garrard as a way to justify what many expected to be a losing season. Rookie quarterbacks do not often find immediate success in winning games.

Speculation is floating around now that Del Rio asked to be removed from his position in order to become a candidate for head coaching jobs at the college level. With recruiting in full swing at that level, this is the time colleges will making hiring and firing decisions.

Today, for example, former Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer was named the new head coach of Ohio State.

Del Rio was linked to the vacancy at USC, his alma mater, when Pete Carroll (now the head coach of the Seahawks) resigned a season ago. No word is coming out of Los Angeles on whether USC is looking to terminate Lane Kiffin, their current coach.

Del Rio has been in the hot seat in Jacksonville for three seasons now, and his removal isn't as much a surprise as the timing of it. It does point to a desire to coach in college, a level in which Del Rio has not coached previously. Considering the amount of former NFL head coaches currently unemployed (former Steelers coach Bill Cowher in particular), it doesn't seem likely Del Rio would be hired back as an NFL head coach any time soon.

Del Rio is 68-70 as a head coach, all with Jacksonville. He spent time as the linebackers coach of the Baltimore Ravens and the strength and conditioning coach of the Carolina Panthers.

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About damn time they did

"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
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by John Stephens on Nov 29, 2011 9:11 AM EST reply actions

Amazing that they put up with this guy for as long as they did.

He has no clue about how to build a winning team.

by Billy52 on Nov 29, 2011 9:16 AM EST reply actions

Maybe he sucks, but I never understood mid-season firings of a head coach in the NFL.

I guess there’s the college thing in this case, but I’ve seen this many times before. I just don’t get it. Why cause more distractions? Just wait until the end of the season. Even if the interim coach does a great job, chances are, you’re not going to hire him fulltime, anyway.

by Anthony Defeo on Nov 29, 2011 9:19 AM EST reply actions

I’m guessing he wants to coach in college. You can’t wait until the end of the pro season to do that. Seems highly likely Del Rio and Jaguars ownership both agreed Del Rio leaving was the best option for everyone.

Jacksonville “fires” him instead of him quitting so both sides save face. Del Rio isn’t labeled a quitter, and can immediately pursue a college job. Jacksonville is in charge of their team, and things are going well – which would not be the case if a coach would rather leave for a job paying him less money.

Everyone wins in a throwaway season.

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by Neal Coolong on Nov 29, 2011 9:38 AM EST up reply actions

That makes sense, but it's too logical to be the actual reason. :)

by Anthony Defeo on Nov 29, 2011 9:46 AM EST up reply actions

I doubt Spagnuolo lasts long into January in St. Louis…wouldn’t be surprised to see Jacksonville talk to him.

Gruden would be an interesting choice as well. They have a young quarterback who, to me, looks absolutely horrendous. He needs help. I think Baltimore looks at a new offensive coordinator, perhaps more to the point, a new quarterbacks coach, clearly the removal of Jim Zorn hasn’t produced much success.

Cowher will wait to see whether Coughlin will get the ax (very likely after his recent swoon), and he’ll go there if/when it’s open. If not, he’ll go to San Diego to replace the entire front office that will be fired.

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by Neal Coolong on Nov 29, 2011 9:51 AM EST up reply actions

bold prediction, like the bold taste of doritos.

this comment brought to you by doritos.

by klompus on Nov 29, 2011 10:29 AM EST up reply actions

I don’t think Cowher is that interested in coaching anymore. If he is, why didn’t he take the Carolina job?

"They timed it perfectly, they just went too soon." - Darrell Waltrip commenting on an illegal restart.

by alfresco on Nov 29, 2011 10:45 AM EST up reply actions

Look at the Panthers organization and ask that question again.

Seriously, much of it will have to do with the amount of control a team is willing to give him. He’s going to want to run everything – basically, he’s not taking less than a Holmgren-in-Seattle kind of job. The Giants have a lot of good things in place already. The franchise is as family-rooted as the Steelers are (they’re related, in fact, Kate Mara is both a Mara and a Rooney), and it’s a huge market, so his salary demands can be a lot higher. That’s where he wants to be, that’s why he didn’t take the Giants job. He’s waiting it out to see if Coughlin will get fired.

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by Neal Coolong on Nov 29, 2011 11:31 AM EST up reply actions

Of course you could be right. But I think the longer he sits in that chair on the television set, the more comfortable it becomes. Certainly being an analyst has fewer headaches. Five years away from coaching is a long time, if that’s what you want to do.

"They timed it perfectly, they just went too soon." - Darrell Waltrip commenting on an illegal restart.

by alfresco on Nov 29, 2011 1:27 PM EST up reply actions

Old News

We sure that this wasn’t a headline that was written about two years ago? Anyone check the date on these articles?
In all seriousness, this did take too long. I think throwing his offensive coordinator under the bus recently probably was the final straw when he basically either admitted he wasn’t in charge or was trying to scapegoat someone he’s in control of. Their defense really isn’t that big an issue, but outside of Maurice ‘Pocket Hercules’ Jones-Drew, that offense hasn’t been any good since Garrard’s one big year.
No surprise; time for him to go; he’ll become someone’s defensive coordinator next year or end up coaching some team in the college ranks (He’s actually a quality character guy; Penn State? (though I’m not sure what the reaction to my suggesting it would be…)).

by BlueLoneWolf on Nov 29, 2011 10:23 AM EST reply actions

Apparently, according to my brother in law who told me this on Thanksgiving.

During a television or radio interview, Cowher said he wants to coach a team with an elite quarterback, and there are only a few of them out there. I guess, by that logic, he’s looking to coach in Green Bay, New Orleans, New England, or perhaps, Pittsburgh.

I guess if you read between the lines, he’s really happy playing with Shannon and the boys on CBS.

by Anthony Defeo on Nov 29, 2011 10:29 AM EST reply actions

Or be in a position to take one right away.

I doubt he goes to Indy though and takes Luck. I just can’t see Cowher in Indiana. Maaaaaaaybe San Diego if they ever decide to get rid of Norv Turner. Good offensive coordinator (dunno what’s going on with them this year, but it happens) but terrible head coach.

by JDSpartan on Nov 29, 2011 10:42 AM EST up reply actions

he probably considers eli manning an elite QB

by klompus on Nov 29, 2011 11:43 AM EST up reply actions

Interesting Update

Also unsurprising, but Adam Schefter reported that Jaguars employees were told the team was being sold…
LA Jaguars anyone? Go with an Aztec angle?

by BlueLoneWolf on Nov 29, 2011 10:59 AM EST reply actions

London?

Speaking of Doritos Bold Predictions by Neal Coolong…this is the craziest, least sensible one yet…Shalid Khan is the reported new owner of the Jaguars. He’s lived in the U.S. since he was 16, but he has a ton of international business experience. NFL owners have to approve the sale of a team. Goodell’s dying to get international with the league.

Maybe Khan would like to explore that possibility. Just sayin’, a few pieces fit here. L.A. has to be the odds-on favorite. I just can’t see him keeping them in Jacksonville over the next five years.

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by Neal Coolong on Nov 29, 2011 11:34 AM EST up reply actions

current reports are that he’ll keep the team there, but they did say yesterday the jack del rio situation was “for another day”

by klompus on Nov 29, 2011 11:45 AM EST up reply actions

Here's a good question...

I know the NFL has games in Wembley yearly, but why not play in Germany? When the NFL Europe was running, weren’t the teams that had at least decent followings all in Germany? Berlin something-or-others?

by BlueLoneWolf on Nov 29, 2011 12:25 PM EST up reply actions

Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg

all had decent NFL Europe followings… Probably more difficult to play there though because of language differences.

by Simonsen on Nov 29, 2011 7:38 PM EST up reply actions

Pakistan Jaguars

There’s an away game for ya.

"They timed it perfectly, they just went too soon." - Darrell Waltrip commenting on an illegal restart.

by alfresco on Nov 29, 2011 1:02 PM EST up reply actions

Lane Kiffin

Isn’t going anywhere. Have you watched USC lately? They are the most underrated team in the country.

by pistil_stamen on Nov 29, 2011 1:14 PM EST reply actions

Checklist to get fired:

Miss on a first round DE – CHECK
Lose a bunch of games – CHECK
Miss on a first-round QB – CHECK
Lose a bunch more games – CHECK

by crosby87 on Nov 29, 2011 5:38 PM EST reply actions

I do believe that

two of those four things were not on him at all. The other two are directly related to the two that were not on him.

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Who the hell's interrupting my Kung Fu? - Black Dynamite

With two D's, for a double dose of this pimpin'

by FrankWyt on Nov 29, 2011 5:43 PM EST up reply actions

True-

But not developing Garrard (thus the need for Gabbert) is on him. He actually carried the Garrard torch WAY too long (shoulda stayed with Leftwich from the get-go).

by crosby87 on Nov 29, 2011 6:11 PM EST reply actions

I don't know about sticking with Leftwich

that guy seemed to have lost his marbles. He got a chance to start in T.B, that didn’t last long. I think it was 2 or 3 games. It’s not a coincidence that no one else offered him a starting job.

I don’t really know what to think about Garrard though. He seemed to be over rated and under rated at the same time, if that makes sense.

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Who the hell's interrupting my Kung Fu? - Black Dynamite

With two D's, for a double dose of this pimpin'

by FrankWyt on Nov 29, 2011 7:13 PM EST up reply actions

i hear ya-

just semed Leftwich got to the playoffs one year, and then was bounced the next pre-season. Agreed he was no Unitas, but Garrard proved to be a downgrade in my book.
Anyway, don’t feel too sorry for Jack – he’ll be a coordinator somewhere within a year…

by crosby87 on Nov 29, 2011 8:04 PM EST up reply actions

me either

I’ve heard he might be in line for a college vacancy. Either way, they had to make a change. In season coach firings always baffle me in football, but someone on tv said they may have done that so he could go find that college job I mentioned. Either way, he’ll land on his feets

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Who the hell's interrupting my Kung Fu? - Black Dynamite

With two D's, for a double dose of this pimpin'

by FrankWyt on Nov 29, 2011 8:23 PM EST up reply actions

Speaking as someone who lives in Jax

It’s about frelling time they got rid of the diva that was Jack. Now to get rid of Gene Smith and get people in who actually want to play with the big boys.

Never seen such a high maintenance coach as Jack. Jax is a fairly blue collar town and when the coach is out getting his manny-peddys, looking down his nose at the fan base all the time. well it was oil and water.

Hopefully Khan will clean house and get people(coaches and players) in here who actually want to play the game competitively instead of just for a pay check.

by Timberhick on Nov 29, 2011 8:42 PM EST reply actions