The Jacksonville Jaguars have named Urban Meyer their next head coach, the team announced on Thursday. Meyer will replace Doug Marrone, who spent five seasons as the team’s head coach before getting fired at season’s end.
With Meyer’s hiring, Jaguars owner Shad Khan is excited about the future, and according to Khan, Meyer is the leader the team needs to win going forward.
“This is a great day for Jacksonville and Jaguars fans everywhere,” said Khan. “Urban Meyer is who we want and need a leader, winner, and champion who demands excellence and produces results. While Urban already enjoys a legacy in the game of football that few will ever match, his passion for the opportunity in front of him here in Jacksonville is powerful and unmistakable. I am proud to name Urban Meyer the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.”
Meyer, a three-time national champion, has a great chance of success when you consider that Jacksonville has the number one overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, which probably means Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. Also, they have around 70-plus million in cap space in 2021. Meyer believes the draft assets and the commitment from ownership has put this team in an excellent position to be competitive.
“I’m ready to coach the Jacksonville Jaguars,” said Meyer. “Jacksonville has an enthusiastic fan base, and the fans deserve a winning team. With upcoming opportunities in the NFL Draft and strong support from ownership, the Jaguars are well-positioned to become competitive. I’ve analyzed this decision from every angle—the time is right in Jacksonville, and the time is right for me to return to coaching. I’m excited about the future of this organization and our long term prospect for success.”
The 56-year-old Meyer accumulated a 187-32 record and a .854 winning percentage, the third-highest in college football history, during head coaching stints at Ohio State (2012-18), Florida (2005-10), Utah (2003-04), and Bowling Green (2001-02). He is the only modern-day coach to win national championships in two different conferences (SEC in 2006 and 2008 at Florida and Big Ten in 2014 at Ohio State).
Over the years, we have seen college coaches come to the NFL and have a lot of success, like Jimmy Johnson, and we have seen successful college coaches come to the NFL and struggle, like Nick Saban, so we’ll see how Meyer adjusts to the league. However, if you have a franchise quarterback, which many believe Lawrence will be, you have a great chance to win in the NFL.
We’ll see if Meyer can successfully transition from college to the NFL.
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