Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has been assembling a coaching staff, including some assistants from the college ranks, in case he decides to become the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ head coach, per league sources.
Meyer and the Jaguars met Friday night on owner Shad Khan’s boat in Florida, but it was not the first time the two sides have been together, as there has been regular communication and interaction, according to sources.
A decision from Meyer and the Jaguars is expected this week, per sources.
Meyer won three national championships and compiled a 187-32 college coaching record during stints at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State. He won two of those titles (2006 and 2008) with the Gators, whom he led to a 65-15 record in six seasons. He also led the Buckeyes to the 2014 national title and compiled an 83-9 record in seven seasons in Columbus.
Khan fired Doug Marrone on Jan. 4 after the Jaguars finished the worst season in franchise history (1-15). Marrone had a 25-44 record (including playoffs) in four seasons with the Jaguars.
The next Jaguars head coach is tasked with turning around one of the league’s worst franchises. The Jaguars lost 15 consecutive games after beating Indianapolis in the season opener.
They gave up a franchise-record 492 points, becoming just the fifth team since the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978 to allow at least 20 points in every game, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Offensively, the Jaguars ranked 28th or worse in yards per game, rushing and scoring. They ranked 21st in passing, which is largely a product of falling behind big in games and having to abandon the run.
Information from ESPN’s Michael DiRocco was used in this report.