The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL throughout the 2024 season. Jacksonville finished the regular season with a 4-13 record and now holds a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. As a result, the Jaguars fired head coach Doug Pederson on Monday. Now the Jaguars are on the hunt for a new head coach.

Jacksonville is one of many NFL teams that is interested in Detroit's offensive coordinator. The Jaguars have requested permission to speak with Lions OC Ben Johnson, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Patriots and Bears have also requested to speak with Johnson.

The Lions are the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. Since Detroit is on a bye week, that gives Johnson a window from Thursday to Saturday during which he can conduct virtual interviews. Of course, Johnson does not need to accept any head coaching interviews if he does not wish to.

Johnson is a hot name on the coaching carousel, but he is not guaranteed to take a job. He has taken himself out of the running two years in a row now, choosing to return to the Lions each time.

Jaguars fans will be thrilled to hear that their team is not putting all of their eggs in the Ben Johnson basket.

The Jaguars have also requested to speak with Buccaneers OC Liam Cohen. This is his first known head coaching interview request of this hiring cycle. Tampa Bay is playing in the Wild Card round, so Jacksonville will have to wait before conducting an interview with Cohen.

Who should the Jaguars hire as their next head coach?

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan looks on before a game against the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Jaguars have one of the most fascinating head coach openings to watch this offseason.

Jacksonville has a lot going for it, primarily a young and talented franchise QB in Trevor Lawrence who is locked up on a long-term contract. However, they may not be the top destination on every candidate's list.

Many within the Jaguars' organization believe that keeping GM Trent Baalke could make it more difficult to hire top talent at head coach. This could be especially true with Ben Johnson, who is rumored to want a strong relationship with a general manager if he takes a head coaching job.

Jacksonville is likely to pursue an offensive-minded head coaching candidate to pair with Trevor Lawrence. Ben Johnson and Liam Cohen are two popular names paired with the Jaguars. Jacksonville would like to interview both of them.

Other offensive-minded head coaching candidates include Joe Brady, Todd Monken, Kliff Kingsbury, and Bobby Slowik.

The Jaguars will certainly interview more than two candidates for their head coaching vacancy. It will be fascinating to see who they request to interview next.