Dare Ogunbowale Weighs In on Jaguars’ HC Candidate Byron Leftwich
In a few short weeks, the Jacksonville Jaguars will have a new head coach. And chances are, there will be someone somewhere on the Jaguars' roster who will be reunited with a blast from their past.
Whether it be Marvin Jones Jr. and Jamal Agnew with Jim Caldwell or Rudy Ford with Doug Pederson, there are a number of connections to be made with candidates the Jaguars have shown an interest in and current members of the roster.
Among those connections also includes current starting running back Dare Ogunbowale and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, who coached Ogunbowale when the two were in Tampa Bay together in 2019.
Leftwich, a former Jaguars quarterback and first-round selection, is considered to be among the favorites to replace Urban Meyer as Jacksonville's head coach. And in the event Leftwich does get the nod to lead the franchise that drafted him out of Marshall in 2003, he will be reunited with a running back who spoke highly of the two's time together in Tampa Bay.
"Byron, he’s a great guy, a great coach. I really enjoyed playing for him," Ogunbowale said on Thursday.
Leftwich, who the Jaguars put in an official request to interview on Tuesday, has been the Buccaneers' play-caller for the last three seasons under head coach Bruce Arians. In that time, the Buccaneers have never had an offense that ranked below No. 3 in points scored. Last year, the Buccaneers' offense improved from No. 23 in offensive DVOA to No. 3, and this year it has lept to No. 1.
Leftwich has had the benefit of working with future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady for the last two seasons, though Leftwich has often been credited for being the bridge between Brady and Arians that has helped weld together the two different offensive philosophies of Tampa Bay's leaders.
“Yeah, I think Byron has done an incredible job. He’s a great guy. We have a great relationship,” Brady said about Leftwich ahead of last year's Super Bowl.
“I’ve known him for a long time – we’re about the same age. I played against him. Always had a lot of respect for him. Now that we’re working together, it’s been great.He’s got a great work ethic, a great football I.Q. It’s just been a growing process for both of us, growing together. When you work together for a long period of time, you begin to see the game very similar. When he’s watching film he thinks, ‘Oh, this is what Tom would like’ and vice versa."
It remains to be seen just how good Leftwich's chances are to be named the Jaguars' next head coach, but he certainly has his fair share of supporters. And as of Thursday, we can consider Ogunbowale among them.
"He’s a very smart coach so I feel like obviously a head coach [position] is in his future and I wish him the best with whatever job he ends up getting. I loved playing for Coach Leftwich," Ogunbowale said on Thursday.
