The Jacksonville Jaguars fired head coach Gus Bradley following their Week 15 loss to the Texans, and the move was expected. The Jags were just 2-12 at the time (they finished 3-13), and Bradley posted just a 14-48 record in nearly four seasons with the team. He never won more than five games in a year.
Owner Shad Khan said it had become "evident" the Jaguars needed to make a change, and plan to start their coaching search immediately. It's not known for being a lucrative job, but with an abundance of young talent on both sides the ball, Jacksonville figures to be one of the more coveted jobs of the offseason. So, who will the Jaguars target to replace Bradley? Here are the top 10 candidates:
8) Darrell Bevell, Seahawks offensive coordinator
Bevell knows how to work with multifaceted quarterbacks and also has proven capable of putting together a beyond-capable running game in this league. He was also a candidate for seemingly every opening last year, and Jacksonville's need for an offensive spark could be what does the trick. The Jags could look at how Bevell developed Russell Wilson, and hope he could do the same with Blake Bortles.
7) Sean McDermott, Panthers defensive coordinator
McDermott has done a wonderful job in Carolina and it's only a matter of time before he gets a head coaching job. He's a very popular candidate this offseason and could have his choice of jobs.
6) Teryl Austin, Lions defensive coordinator
Austin has had a relatively short NFL coaching career to this point, but he's been extremely successful. He gets a lot of the credit for the Lions' breakout season this year, which has been largely credited to the play of their defense. Austin will be a top candidate for every head coach opening this offseason, so the Jaguars will likely give him a call as well.
5) Mike Smith, Buccaneers defensive coordinator
Smith was run out of Atlanta after the team with 10-22 in the last two years of his tenure with the Falcons, but finished with a 67-50 record during his tenure with the team. With a year off the head coaching circuit, he has re-emerged as Tampa Bay's defensive coordinator. He got a few interviews last year, and the Jags could very well give him a call.
4) Jim Bob Cooter, Lions offensive coordinator
Cooter has done an incredible job leading Detroit's offense for the past year and a half, guiding Matthew Stafford & Co. to building one of the league's most potent offensive attacks without Calvin Johnson or a reliable running game. Jacksonville may hope he could have similar success in developing Bortles, and at just 32 years old, he'll bring young energy to the franchise.
3) Doug Marrone, Jaguars offensive line coach/interim head coach
Marrone had a relatively impressive 15-17 record as head coach of the Bills for two seasons, but opted out of his contract after numerous disagreements with the front office. Many teams were impressed with his work in Buffalo and was expected to get another job elsewhere, but found himself on the job market a little too late to land the kind of job he wanted, which is how he ended up in Jacksonville. We've seen other NFL franchises (most notably the Giants and Bucs this past year) hire assistants to replace fired head coaches, and the Jaguars could very well do the same.
2) Kyle Shanahan, Falcons offensive coordinator
Shanahan has been on the verge of getting a head coaching job for the past few seasons, and this will likely be the year he gets one. He has engineered the best offense in the league, and the Jags would hope he could have success in developing Bortles. Remember, Shanahan designed the offense in Washington in which Robert Griffin III led the Redskins to the playoffs.
1) Josh McDaniels, Patriots offensive coordinator
McDaniels has rebuilt his reputation while leading the Patriots’ offense for the past five seasons after a less-than-successful head coaching debut in Denver. He has a strong desire to be an NFL head coach again. Perhaps he can bring some of the "Brady Effect" over to rejuvenate Bortles.
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