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The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of a few NFL teams that are currently conducting a search for a new head coach and the process seems to be moving slow for new general manager Dave Caldwell, but that is a good thing.
Just like Jaguars owner Shahid Khan was thorough in his process that eventually led to the hiring of Caldwell, as a first time general manager he needs to make sure he is hiring the right head coach that he can work with as he tries to turn around this franchise.
The list of the names being floated around for current head coach openings may be underwhelming, but that may be because some of the big names that were discussed a few weeks ago have already removed their name from consideration. The Jaguars were never going to get any of those big names anyways. Much like with Caldwell, the Jaguars best chance for finding a successful head coach is to find a young guy on the rise that is looking for his first opportunity to prove his talents.
The Jaguars have reportedly already spoken to St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and their own defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. The Jags are also scheduled to talk to Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden today. All three of those candidates are guys that the Jaguars talked to or wanted to talk to last off-season before they hired Mike Mularkey.
Patience may be the key for Caldwell in his first hire as Jaguars general manager. Some of the top candidates are currently unavailable to be interviewed because their teams are still in the playoffs. The name that has been most linked to the Jaguars job, San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, may see his stock increase after his offense had an impressive performance over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.
The Jaguars would be wise to wait and talk to some of these assistants next week when they become available for interviews, because they need to be thorough and make sure they are hiring the right guy for the job.
