What Are the Odds: Who Is the Favorite To Be the Next Jaguars’ HC?
The Urban Meyer era is over and the Jacksonville Jaguars are once again looking for a head coach -- just 11 months after going through the whirlwind process for the fourth time in the Khan era.
While there are still four games left to be played before the 2021 campaign is officially over, the entire focus in Jacksonville is undoubtedly on finding the right coach to lead the franchise. When and how the Jaguars find that coach remains to be seen, but the head coaching search has become the most important in Jaguars' franchise history, even over last year's search.
To give an idea of which candidates could see their names floated for the job, who do oddsmakers think has the best chance of becoming the next Jaguars head coach? BetOnline recently released odds on candidates for each of the six teams looking for a new head coach. Below are the odds for the Jaguars, as well as our own commentary on how BetOnline ordered the candidates.
Byron Leftwich: 4/1
The leading betting favorite to be the next Jaguars head coach is a former Jaguars quarterback himself. While it is a bit surprising to see Leftwich as the leading candidate in odds due to the fact that he hasn't been a head coach before and the Jaguars will likely want to hire some experience, it is far from a shock to see Leftwich near the top of the list in general. He would energize the fan base after the toxic tenure of Meyer, and he has been a successful play-caller for the last several seasons. He of course has a stacked offense with Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and others, but he is a rising star who will be a head coach soon. For it to happen in the city he once played wouldn't be a shock.
Kellen Moore: 5/1
Another young and rising star in the coaching ranks, Kellen Moore is one of the best offensive coordinators in the NFL based simply off results. Calling plays for the Cowboys the last three seasons, Moore currently has the Cowboys ranked No. 2 in points and yards after having the Cowboys No. 6 and No. 1 in each category in 2019. And even in 2020 when Dak Prescott was hurt, Moore put together some good stretches of production for an offense led by Andy Dalton. He has never been a head coach at any level, but he has the offensive background to entice teams that need their quarterback developed like the Jaguars.
Darrell Bevell: 11/2
Jacksonville's interim head coach, it would be a surprise to see Darrell Bevell kept on as the full-time head coach simply because the Jaguars' offense has been a mess all year despite Bevell pushing many of the buttons. A lot, if not most of it, is the fault of Meyer and the way he tried to structure the Jaguars organization, but the Jaguars are still on pace to be the worst scoring offense in team history. With that said, Bevell is much more respected and well-liked than Meyer and has a different leadership style completely, so he would at least be an adult in the room.
Eric Bieniemy: 7/1
The Chiefs have been a head coach factory in recent years, with Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy each going from Chiefs coordinators to head coach in recent years. Eric Bieniemy hasn't gotten the same chance despite leading a high-powered Chiefs offense for the last several seasons. He did get an interview with the Jaguars last season, but the Jaguars likely have to hope they didn't turn him or other candidates off with the way they conducted their interviews last year considering it was clear the Jaguars only considered Meyer for the job.
Joe Brady: 7/1
Joe Brady is one of the hottest names in coaching circles yet again. Just two years after he helped LSU form one of the best offenses in college football history, Brady is once again available due to his tenure with the Carolina Panthers ending earlier this month. Matt Rhule clearly scapegoated Brady as his coordinator to buy himself more time in what has been a poor tenure so far, so his firing doesn't speak much to Brady's coaching ability. With that said, he has never been a head coach and still has so much limited experience.
Doug Pederson: 9/1
It isn't very often a head coach with a Super Bowl ring finds himself looking for a new team, but that is the case of former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson. Pederson was fired by the Eagles last season after a 4-11-1 campaign, but he has a 42-37-1 career regular-season record, giving him a winning percentage of .531%. He has developed multiple quarterbacks and has even called an RPO-heavy scheme that would fit Trevor Lawrence's skill set and familiarity from Clemson. He is one of the few candidates on this list who has been a head coach before, so he ultimately may make the most sense.
Brian Daboll: 10/1
Brian Daboll's star doesn't shine as bright this year as it did last year, and it could say a lot that the Jaguars didn't give Daboll an interview last season. Daboll has multiple years of successful passing games under his belt and he has clearly done wonders with Josh Allen, but Daboll would have been a hotter name to hire at this point last season.
Matt Eberflus: 10/1
A coach with plenty of experience against the Jaguars, the Colts' defensive coordinator has consistently gotten the most out of his talent and has helped the Colts' defense become one of the signature pieces of the franchise. He doesn't have head coach experience, though, and would need to prove he can bring in a top-notch offensive coordinator.
Josh McDaniels: 14/1
Josh McDaniels has interviewed with the Jaguars before (2017) and has done a terrific job developing Mac Jones and setting him up for success. Still, do the Jaguars want to go the McDaniels route after Meyer and his personality rubbed many the wrong way? That is likely the question the Jaguars would have to weigh here.
Pete Carroll: 14/1
Pete Carroll is everything Urban Meyer aspired to be in the NFL and his tenure with the Seahawks is likely exactly what the Jaguars hoped they would be getting from the Meyer era. With that said, Carroll not sticking around in Seattle would be a surprise, even with their poor record.
Jim Caldwell: 16/1
Read here on why we think Jim Caldwell makes a lot of sense for the Jaguars. It is of course worth noting, he hasn't coached the last two seasons and is going to be 67-years-old in Week 1, 2022.
Kyle Shanahan: 16/1
Kyle Shanahan has all the power he could want with the 49ers and got a close look this season at just how far the Jaguars are, so I doubt he would throw in the towel on what he is building in San Francisco to come to Jacksonville, even with Trevor Lawrence being an appealing part of the deal. If Shanahan was fired that would be one thing, but it is clear that won't happen.
Marvin Lewis: 16/1
One of the most underappreciated head coaches of his era, Marvin Lewis has already shown he can turn around a floundering franchise and at least bring them to a respectable level. Lewis was never able to lead the Bengals to any playoff success, but seven playoff appearances and four division titles is still a terrific track record. Lewis did this with a team that has been known to be among the most tight-fisted with money when it comes to spending on free agents and facilities, but this wouldn't be an issue in Jacksonville. Lewis' 131-122 record (.518%) is something the Jaguars would kill for right now.
Mike Tomlin: 25/1
It is a bit surreal to see Mike Tomlin on this list because, well, it is Mike Tomlin. If Tomlin were available in any sense of the word, the Jaguars should sprint to their checkbooks to pull out a blank one for Tomlin to cash in with. Tomlin is one of the best coaches in the NFL and he won't be going anywhere, but the Jaguars should obviously pounce on the chance to hire him if it ever came.
