The Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking for a new head coach this offseason.
Following another disappointing campaign, team owner Shad Khan announced on Monday morning that head coach Doug Pederson had been fired.
In a statement shared on social media, Khan declared, “the time to summon new leadership is now.”
“I had the difficult task this morning of informing Doug Pederson of my intention to hire a new head coach to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars,” Khan stated.
“Doug is an accomplished football man who will undoubtedly enjoy another chapter in his impressive NFL career, and I will be rooting for Doug and his wife Jeannie when that occasion arrives. As much as Doug and I both wish his experience here in Jacksonville would have ended better, I have an obligation first and foremost to serve the best interests of our team and especially our fans, who faithfully support our team and are overdue to be rewarded. In that spirit, the time to summon new leadership is now.”
Pederson began his tenure in Jacksonville with a strong season, finishing 9-8, winning the AFC South, and orchestrating a comeback playoff victory against the Chargers. The momentum continued with an 8-3 start to the 2023 season, but a 1-5 slump to close the year set the tone for a disappointing 4-13 record this season, prompting Khan’s decision to seek new leadership.
Khan expressed confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back, noting the potential for a quick turnaround.
“I strongly believe it is possible next season to restore the winning environment we had here not long ago. I will collaborate with General Manager Trent Baalke and others, within and close to our organization, to hire a leader who shares my ambition and is ready to seize the extraordinary opportunity we will offer in Jacksonville,” the statement added.
Needless to say, this led to a lot of reactions from fans on social media.
“Keeping Trent but not Doug suggests the issue is coaching. Sure there are some bright spots on both sides of the ball but the overall roster is not elite or deep or special. Also concerned that a hot coaching prospect will be hesitant to pursue if saddled with existing GM,” one fan wrote on X.
“Will not renew tickets! Bad move,” someone else added.
“Legit find it hard to come on here today,” another person added.
“Does anyone believe Shad Khan wakes up every day of his life and says to himself, ‘How can I make the Jaguars a better team and organization today?'” someone else wrote.
“It’s obvious that this needed to happen. I don’t know enough about the management of a team to know if Trent needs to go or not… I’ll keep my opinions on that to myself at this time,” another person added.
We’ll have to see who the Jaguars decide to hire for the job.
