EXCLUSIVE: What Jaguars Are Looking For in Next HC

What do the Jacksonville Jaguars want in their next head coach?

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan watches Monday's town hall session from the back of the crowd. Jacksonville Jaguars Team President Mark Lamping addressed community members at Strings Sports Brewery on Main Street for the first of 14 planned town hall sessions to present the team's plans for the new \"stadium of the future\" complex and address the public concerns Monday, June 12, 2023. Team owner Shad Khan was in attendance and talked with community members and the media after the | Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Jacksonville Jaguars kicked off their head coach search with gusto this week, requesting to speak with 10 of the NFL's top assistants to replace Doug Pederson.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan and general manager Trent Baalke are casting a wide net in the search, which may make it seem difficult to get a read on what the franchise's priorities are.

In the 10-coach group, the Jaguars are looking at: five offensive coordinators, five defensive coordinators, three former NFL head coaches, and seven coaches who would be first-time head coaches. The options range from young up-and-coming assistants to NFL lifers who have devoted decades to the game.

In attempts to get a feel for what exact qualities the Jaguars are looking for in their next coach, Jacksonville Jaguars on Sports Illustrated has spoken with several individuals with knowledge of the situation. Granted anonymity so they could speak freely, each source came to similar conclusions.

Ultimately, it appears the Jaguars are placing the important of a play-calling head coach near the top of their priorities. They won't pigeon hole themselves and want to hear from as many voices as possible -- hence the heavy inclusion of defensive-minded coaches.

But, according to sources, the Jaguars seemingly prefer an offensive coach who is willing to call the teams plays himself. This was an important factor in the 2022 search as well, sources told Jacksonville Jaguars On Sports Illustrated, and is a big reason Doug Pederson got the job then.

Pederson, of course, did not call plays his entire tenure as head coach despite it being an emphasis in the interview process and even at his introductory press conference.

The issue of Pederson not calling plays was amongst the most-discussed aspects of the team inside and outside the building leading up to the 2024 season, with Khan openly telling local media in one interview session how he felt. He wanted Pederson calling plays, but his head coach felt differently.

With Khan and the Jaguars now looking for Pederson's replacement, it seems as if Khan is looking for a coach to fill the role that Pederson never seemed to fully embrace.

The Jaguars are set to speak with several coaches who would fit this bill, with top names being Ben Johnson, Liam Coen, Joe Brady, and Kellen Moore. Moore interviewed for the job in 2022 as well.

It will be a few more weeks until we know what direction the Jaguars will go in, but it is becoming increasingly likely they look to an offensive coach with his hands on the wheel to lead them into the future.

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