Jacksonville Jaguars new director of sports performance Chris Doyle resigned, the team announced on Friday night.
“Chris Doyle came to us this evening to submit his resignation, and we have accepted,” Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer and GM Trent Baalke said in a joint statement on Friday night. “Chris did not want to be a distraction to what we are building in Jacksonville. We are responsible for all aspects of our program and, in retrospect, should have given greater consideration to how his appointment may have affected all involved. We wish him the best as he moves forward in his career.”
On Thursday, the Jaguars introduced their new coaching staff, which included Doyle.
The 52-year-old Doyle served as the head strength and conditioning coach for the University of Iowa football program from 1999-2020. Doyle was placed on administrative leave by the university after being accused by a few Iowa players of making racist remarks and bullying. Doyle was eventually let go by Iowa last June and received $1.1 million from the university
“I’ve known Chris(Doyle) for close to 20 years,” Meyer said Thursday. “Our relationship goes back to when I was at Utah and he was the number one strength coach. Really, he was doing sports performance before sports performance became a high priority in college sports. I’ve known him. I’ve studied him. We’ve had a relationship. I vetted him thoroughly along with our general manager [Trent Baalke] and owner [Shad Khan]. [We] feel great about the hire, about his expertise at that position. We vetted him thoroughly.”
The hiring of Doyle was a mistake by Jacksonville, especially when you consider how many minority candidates are struggling to find opportunities around the league. Doyle would have been a distraction this season for Jacksonville, so his decision to resign was the best move for all parties involved.
Watch as Meyer explains why he hired Doyle:
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