Jaguars Hire Doug Marrone as Head Coach

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Published on January 10 2017 6:07 am
Last Updated on January 10 2017 6:07 am

By ESPN

The Jacksonville Jaguars officially hired Doug Marrone as head coach on Monday and brought back Tom Coughlin to oversee football operations as executive vice president.

Jacksonville also signed general manager Dave Caldwell to a two-year extension, meaning that Caldwell, Coughlin and Marrone all will have matching three-year deals with the Jaguars.

"I have confidence that one day soon we'll look back on today's news as the moment that inspired and ultimately established the Jacksonville Jaguars as a football team that wins, week to week and season to season,'' owner Shad Khan said in a statement. "The results will speak for themselves in time, but with Tom coming in to join Dave and Doug, there is no question the Jacksonville Jaguars are a stronger football team today.''

Marrone and Caldwell will report to Coughlin, meaning Jacksonville's first coach is now in charge and will have the final say in personnel decisions.

Marrone will be promoted after serving as the Jaguars' interim coach to finish the season. He went 1-1 following the firing of Gus Bradley in December.

"I think Doug has earned the respect of the offensive players, and I'm excited for him to get this opportunity and the direction of this team," quarterback Blake Bortles wrote in a text to ESPN's Mike DiRocco.

Bortles completed over 64 percent of his passes in both of his starts under Marrone. The quarterback only did that in one game under Bradley this season.

The Jaguars finished 3-13 in 2016 -- their sixth straight losing season -- and have not made the playoffs since 2007.

Coughlin, 70, was the franchise's first head coach when the Jaguars entered the NFL in 1995. He guided Jacksonville to the 1996 and 1999 AFC Championship Games during his eight-year stint with the team.

 

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