The Jaguars have the head coach they hope will turn the franchise around in Urban Meyer, and now he has to make some crucial staff hires.
Meyer could be looking for two coordinators with NFL head-coaching experience. Meyer is speaking with Raheem Morris about the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator position, according to ESPN. Morris, 44, was the head coach of the Buccaneers from 2009-2011 and was the Falcons’ interim head coach in 2020 after they fired Dan Quinn. Morris interviewed for the Jaguars’ head-coaching job before they hired Meyer.
Scott Linehan, who was the Rams’ head coach from 2006-08, is a target for Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator vacancy, according to NFL Network. Linehan, 57, spent 2020 as the passing game coordinator at LSU. He’s been an offensive coordinator for the Dolphins, Lions, and Cowboys.
Ravens defensive line coach Joe Cullen is also an option for the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator job, according to NFL Network.
“I have to get a great staff — not a good staff, a great staff,” Meyer said Friday during his introductory press conference. “I’ve had a multitude of people calling, and my comment is, ‘Save the recommendation unless you feel that person is elite in all areas,’ because that’s what Jacksonville deserves and that’s what we’re gonna have on our staff.”
The Jaguars have the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Though Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence has long been considered the favorite for the top pick, Meyer is not showing his hand. He mentioned Justin Fields and Zach Wilson in the same breath as Lawrence when asked about the pick on Friday.
