Report: Urban Meyer and Jaguars Discussing Facilities and Staff Deals as Part of HC Negotiations
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Urban Meyer are reportedly on the cusp of brokering a deal to make Meyer the fifth head coach in franchise history. One of the primary talking points? The facilities and assistant coach deals, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
Breer has been at the forefront of the Meyer news. According to Breer, if the Jags and Meyer are able to make a deal it should lead to massive upgrades in the team’s practice facility situation which, as Breer states, are “currently well short of what Meyer had in Columbus” along with multi-year deals for assistants.
Defensive lineman Abry Jones seemed to respond to the report, tweeting “Get them new facilities” just 44 minutes after Breer’s report.
Jones is the longest-tenured player on the Jaguars roster, having just completed his eighth season in the league and with the team.
The Jaguars facilities—specifically the indoor practice facility—received an upgrade in 2017 as part of a $90-million project which was split between owner Shad Khan and the city of Jacksonville.
As The Florida Times-Union described at the time of the opening, “The field is 100 yards plus two 10-yard end zones and a 20-foot perimeter around the field (about 7 yards).
“The unique parts of the facility: Three large fans (20-inch diameter) above the field and the four airplane hangar-type doors that are 48 feet high and can open and close.
“On the south side are three hangar doors that will allow the facility to be open-air from one 30-yard line to the other. On the north side is one hangar door that faces the amphitheater.”
Meyer comes from the college ranks where the “arms race” has been in full effect the past decade or so. Schools constantly upgrading their facilities to stand out versus other schools when it comes to recruiting, to the point of adding slides, waterfalls, recording studios, and gaming rooms, just to name a few. It’s not uncommon for coaches in the college ranks to negotiate facilities as part of their hiring process.
Now it seems Meyer could potentially bring the same practice to the NFL.
The Jaguars' facility is relatively on par with other NFL facilities and has the advantage of being on-site near the stadium. There is both an indoor and outdoor area along with four locker rooms, which were a huge help when the team had to split up due to COVID-19 protocols.
In the report from Breer, it was also indicated Meyer would like multi-year deals for his assistant coaches. A previous report—also from Breer—stated Meyer was looking to bring on coaches he’d worked with before, primarily some of his former coordinators from the college ranks like Charlie Strong, Chris Ash, and Steve Addazio.
Talks between Meyer and the club have reportedly been ongoing, with a deal not yet officially announced at the time of publication.
