The Jacksonville Jaguars had yet another disappointing season. They finished at the bottom of the league with a brutal record of 3-14. The only other team with just three wins was the Detroit Lions, but they lost one less game than the Jaguars with a tie to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jacksonville hasn't made it to the playoffs since 2017 and has had a losing record ever since. In 2020, the Jaguars hit a franchise-record low with only one win and 15 losses.
Fortunately, there are glimmers of hope and success for the Jaguars in the not-so-far future. For one, they picked up Trevor Lawrence to be their franchise quarterback as the first selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. Lawrence had a rough outing in his first year in the league but shows true potential to be a strong piece to build a successful team around.
Having the worst record in the league for the second year in a row, the Jaguars get the first pick again in the 2022 NFL Draft. They also have one second-round pick and two third-round picks to pick up some talent.
While supporting Lawrence and the rest of the team with talented players is a priority for the Jaguars, it isn't their main problem. The Jaguars need a head coach.
By now, it's common knowledge that former head coach Urban Meyer was fired in mid-December. Despite his success as a college coach, his style just wasn't fit for the NFL. Meyer was relieved of his duties after only coaching 13 regular season games in the NFL, winning two of them.
In the offseason, the Jaguars are struggling to find a coach fit for the job. Out of the nine teams interviewing potential head coaching candidates, four have already found their matches. The New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, and Chicago Bears all completed their searches.
The Jaguars must act fast to find a quality head coach that is capable of working with a rebuilding team. As stated previously, most of the players Jacksonville will be working with in the future are younger and less experienced. This requires a certain type of coach, who can gel young players together and form a cohesive, successful football team.
One top candidate for the Jaguars' coaching vacancy is Kevin O'Connell. The Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator did not receive an interview request from Jacksonville during the initial interview period. Now, with the Rams heading to the Super Bowl, the Jaguars will have to wait even longer to interview him.
The Jaguars have requested interviews with 13 potential candidates, per CBS Sports. Along with O'Connell, this includes University of Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, and multiple others.
Other teams searching for head coaches this offseason include the Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, and Miami Dolphins. The Vikings are also interested in pursuing the Rams offensive coordinator.
O'Connell would be a perfect fit for the position in Jacksonville. He is only 36 years old and ended his playing career only 10 years ago in 2012. This automatically gives him more chemistry with Lawrence and the young players coming into Jacksonville.
Regardless of who lands the role, they have to be able to take the initiative to guide young players and lead them into becoming a well-operating team.
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