Report: Jaguars Planning to Meet With Urban Meyer About Head Coach Position

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been rumored to be linked to Urban Meyer for the last several weeks, but it appears the two sides are now officially set to meet.

Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported this morning that the Jaguars plan to meet with Urban Meyer on Friday to talk about their head coach vacancy, which would be the first substantial public step toward the Jaguars and Meyer building relationship.

The #Jaguars plan to meet with Urban Meyer today to continue discussing the team’s head coaching vacancy, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

No deal is imminent and the team has at least one other interview scheduled. But an important step in the process.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 8, 2021

Meyer has been rumored to be linked to the Jaguars' head coach opening for the last several weeks, though the Jaguars didn't have a head coach opening until owner Shad Khan fired former head coach Doug Marrone on Monday.

On Monday, just over an hour after Marrone was fired, Khan held a press conference and was asked directly about the Meyer rumors. Khan dismissed them then, noting Marrone had just been let go and they hadn't yet talked to any candidates to replace him.

"And on the rumor of Urban Meyer, obviously, I’ve known Urban over the years through Big Ten and what have you. But we have not spoken to anyone about this job or even, obviously, interviewed him," Khan said on Monday.

"I mean, this is something—just made the decision this morning. So, you know there is—and I’ll leave it at that.”

There has been significant momentum toward a Meyer/Jaguars relationship building throughout national sports media in recent weeks. ESPN's Adam Schefter said before Week 16's kickoff that teams had shown interest in Meyer. Last weekend, Rapoport expressed a more specific sentiment.

"The team has shown interest in former Florida and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who has been lining up a staff and telling people he's close to in the football community that he expects to land in Jacksonville, per sources," Rapoport wrote.

Jacksonville is seeking a new head coach for the first time since the 2017 offseason. Marrone compiled a 25-44 record as the team's head coach and took them to the 2017 AFC Championship game, but the Jaguars have gone 12-36 in the last three seasons, including a franchise-worst 1-15 record in 2020.

The Jaguars have also been linked to Tennessee offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, and Atlanta Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris.

Khan himself stated there is significant interest in Jacksonville's head coach and general manager vacancies. The Jaguars fired general manager Dave Caldwell on November 29 after nearly eight seasons leading Jacksonville's front office.

"Well, I certainly think there’s a huge amount of interest in this, much more so than the last time around. And I also look at really—we’re in a much different, and I would say a better position today than we were a year ago. A little over a year ago, as you well know—and I think you reported—we did have team disharmony and we were—for lack of a better word—salary cap hell," Khan said on Monday.

"I think today, I frankly thought that we would do better. We won six games last year [2019], but you know, certainly we have a lot of salary cap availability along with the draft picks and obviously the number one pick. But what’s evaded the history of the Jags, really, has been a franchise quarterback. And I think what’s unique, certainly, is that we have the ability now to make a choice and it’s going to define the franchise moving forward.”

Meyer's track record of success at the college level is unquestionable, even if he has a lack of NFL experience. Meyer compiled a 187–32 record as a college head coach with Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, and Ohio State.

During his tenures in college, Meyer won three national champions, three Big 10 conference titles, two SEC conference championships, and his teams won their division 10 times.