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Time of Change for Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan announced Monday the hiring of former head coach Tom Coughlin as Executive Vice President of Operations. Additionally, interim head coach Doug Marrone will take over as the permanent coach for the Jags. Also, General Manager Dave Caldwell signed a two-year extension with the team. This allows for a three-year window for the Jaguars to turn their franchise around under new leadership.
#Jaguars officially name Doug Marrone as HC, Tom Coughlin as executive vice president of football operations.
➡️ https://t.co/2e7GmiWynA pic.twitter.com/WXLCkCVNmE
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 10, 2017
What Coughlin, Marrone bring to Jacksonville
Coughlin was the first head coach for the Jaguars when the team entered the league in 1995. During his eight year tenure in Jacksonville, Coughlin compiled a 68 – 60 record, tied for the most wins in Jaguars coaching history. Coughlin led the Jags to the AFC Championship Game twice and was named NFL Coach of the Year in 1996. In 1999, Coughlin’s team put together a 14-2 regular season record.
Coughlin’s success continued when he took over a struggling New York Giants franchise as head coach in 2004. He coached New York to the Super Bowl in 2007 and again in 2012. Coughlin would later step down in 2015; since then, he has been working for the NFL as a senior advisor.
Marrone served as Syracuse’s head coach from 2009 – 2012. He lead the team to a modest 25 – 25 record during his time at the university. Following his tenure at Syracuse, Marrone was hired as head coach of the Buffalo Bills. In his first season in 2013, Marrone and the Bills achieved only a 6 – 9 record. However, in the 2014 season the Bills fought their way to a 9 – 7 showing. This was the first time in 10 years Buffalo posted a winning record.
After a change of ownership for the Bills, Marrone opted out of his contract. In January 2015 Marrone became assistant head coach and offensive line coach for Jacksonville. Former Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley was fired in December of this past season after posting only a 14 – 48 record in almost four seasons. Marrone assumed head coaching responsibilities and is now the contracted coach for the Jags.
Looking forward for Jacksonville
These hires bode well for Jaguars fans who have been accustomed to disappointing seasons under Bradley’s tenure. Two-time Super Bowl winner Coughlin brings a winning mentality into town. The former Giants head coach has been around the game for a long time now and understands football well.
Coughlin is known as a strict disciplinarian and received the nickname “Colonel Coughlin” during his time in New York. Some of his players received fines for showing up to team meetings two minutes early as opposed to five minutes early.
Marrone is also no stranger to success, posting winning records during his time at Syracuse and Buffalo. The Jaguars have a young roster with plenty of raw talent. It’ll be a big task for Marrone to hone the abilities of his newer players. After their final game of the season, a loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Marrone said players should be accountable for their mistakes. With the combination of Coughlin’s no-nonsense mentality, and Marrone’s demand for accountability the Jaguars hope they can break free from their losing ways.
