2024 was not kind to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were expected to return to the playoffs in head coach Doug Pederson’s third season. The team finished 4-13 and Pederson was fired on Black Monday.
Firing the head coach wasn’t surprising, but keeping general manager Trent Baalke has put the Jaguars behind the eight ball in the head coach hiring cycle. Ben Johnson took the job with the Chicago Bears, and Liam Coen has also withdrawn his name.
Jacksonville will have to keep moving down its candidate list as long as Baalke remains in the building, so let’s look at other names the Jaguars should pursue.
Who Should the Jacksonville Jaguars Target As Head Coach?
1) Joe Brady, Offensive Coordinator, Buffalo Bills
Brady’s name has appeared on head coach candidate lists since the start of the 2024 season, and he could be rocketing up Jacksonville’s list.
With Liam Coen off the board, #Bills OC Joe Brady is a name to watch if Jaguars expand their search to next week. He was on the team’s initial list of offensive minds by which Jacksonville was intrigued.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 22, 2025
Since taking over in Week 11 of 2023, he’s maximized Buffalo’s offense despite lacking a No. 1 wide receiver. The Bills are the second-highest-scoring offense in the league, ranking third in average time of possession and sixth in yards per game.
Yes, he has Josh Allen as his quarterback, but Brady’s structure has led to the cleanest season of Allen’s career with just six interceptions and two lost fumbles. He ranks second in PFN’s QB+ over expectation for 2024 and is the favorite for MVP, so Brady has unlocked a guy who already was one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Think of what he could do with Trevor Lawrence.
2) Todd Monken, Offensive Coordinator, Baltimore Ravens
His name hasn’t had the same buzz around it as others, but Todd Monken has proven he’s a quarterback whisperer in Baltimore, and that’s what Jacksonville should value most. Lamar Jackson’s improvement as a passer should be enough to get Monken a head coaching job, but he’s become a complete quarterback under the 58-year-old play-caller.
In the last two seasons, Jackson’s in-pocket passing stats have greatly improved to a 109.4 rating, 8.3 YPA, 6% TD rate, and just a 1.3 INT rate. Each of those numbers is better than the previous two seasons and Monken should get all the credit for the improvement.
Monken has also been highly adaptable since arriving in Baltimore. In Jackson’s MVP 2023 campaign, the Ravens had the 11th-highest pass rate over expectation. After adding Derrick Henry this offseason, Baltimore finished 29th in pass rate over expectation, but Jackson had arguably his best season. He knows how to maximize his personnel — that cannot be undervalued.
3) Drew Petzing, Offensive Coordinator, Arizona Cardinals
Another under-the-radar offensive name is Drew Petzing, who has continued to develop Kyler Murray and his offense in Arizona. The Cardinals saw improvements in points per drive, yards per drive, and third-down conversion rate in 2024 while also having the best goal-to-go offense (touchdowns 84% of the time).
Murray has become a more reliable, less reckless passer under Petzing with an average depth of pressured throw of 7.9 yards over the last two seasons, as opposed to 10.9 before Petzing arrived.
Marvin Harrison Jr. didn’t have the splash rookie season everyone expected, but Petzing has a great offensive mind and could be a second-tier candidate who wouldn’t have an issue with Baalke as GM.
4) Robert Saleh, Free Agent
Jacksonville should get an offensive-minded head coach to maximize their young quarterback. However, Robert Saleh could be the culture-builder the Jaguars need. Saleh created a bullying defense for the New York Jets and caught a raw deal getting fired just five games into his fourth season.
New York’s defense took a step back after firing Saleh, finishing 15th in PFN’s Defensive+ Rankings after being a top-five unit the past two seasons. The offense and quarterback were bigger issues for the Jets than their defense, but Saleh was fired anyway.
Owner Shad Khan has scheduled a second interview with Saleh, who now is one of the favorites to land the job.
5) Patrick Graham, Defensive Coordinator, Las Vegas Raiders
Another defensive candidate with a second interview scheduled is Patrick Graham. This would be Graham’s first head coaching job, and he comes off an impressive finish to the season despite Maxx Crosby going on injured reserve.
Graham has been a defensive coordinator since 2019 where he spent a season calling the defense in Miami. He went to the Giants for two seasons and Las Vegas for the last three. Getting three consecutive cracks as a coordinator is a huge accomplishment, and he’s proven his defenses can be competitive.
Las Vegas finished as PFN’s 21st-ranked defense, which should be acknowledged given where they started the season and the big names lost through the year. Graham has been getting recent buzz, but his name doesn’t carry the same weight as Johnson. So, if he’s offered the job, he’ll have to be saddled with Baalke.
