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Jack Del Rio staying in Jacksonville as coach (1 Viewer)

gianmarco

gianmarco

Footballguy
:confused:

JDR remains HC in Jax

After conducting his most extensive review in 15 years, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver decided to stick with coach Jack Del Rio.

At least for another year.

Weaver held a half-day meeting with Del Rio on Tuesday, then said the two would continue their rebuilding project with the Jaguars.

"I believe in Jack, that's he's the guy," Weaver said two days before his 75th birthday. "After going through this process, Jack is the guy that can get us there. The fans have to have enough trust in me to believe that I'm making the right decision for the franchise."

The announcement came amid reports that Del Rio was a candidate to succeed Pete Carroll at Southern California. Carroll left USC to become the Seattle Seahawks' coach.

The Los Angeles Daily News reported Monday that Del Rio, an All-American linebacker for the Trojans in 1984, had been sent a contract to sign.

"Didn't even talk about that," Weaver said. "I wasn't interested in that. I was interested in if Jack wanted to be here and was committed to this franchise and that he shared my vision and my goals for this franchise and how we go forward. That was the substance of the conversations."

Del Rio said early Tuesday that he hadn't been offered the USC job, but he declined to address the media following his meeting with Weaver. However, Weaver said, "I assure you he's not going to Southern Cal."

USC confirmed that Tuesday night when it announced that former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin would take over the program. Kiffin just completed his first season at the University of Tennessee, but he was an assistant at USC under Carroll from 2001 to 2006.

Given the go-ahead in Jacksonville, Del Rio will try to get the Jaguars to the playoffs for just the third time in the last 11 years.

Jacksonville looked like it was on track for a playoff berth this season, but the team lost its final four games, faded from contention and finished last in the AFC South for the second consecutive season. It was a significant setback for a small-market franchise known more for empty seats than postseason prowess.

Many Jaguars fans have expressed frustration with Del Rio, who is 58-57 in seven seasons in Jacksonville and has only one playoff victory. But Weaver blamed the team's recent struggles on a series of first-round draft busts and poor free-agent signings.

"Over the past seven years, we've had our ups and downs and we've been an average football team," Weaver said. "We've had some good seasons, but if you look at the body of work, we've been average. ... Had we hit on two or three of those draft choices, we'd be a different football team than we are today. I have to accept responsibility for that."

Weaver cleaned house last year, parting ways with several veterans and turning control over to new general manager Gene Smith. Weaver kept Del Rio, though, and said he was confident he would turn things around in Jacksonville.

Smith and Del Rio took an aggressive approach to revamping the Jaguars' roster. Four rookies started most of the season, and several more played significant snaps.

Weaver acknowledged that he never expected the Jaguars to reach the playoffs with more than 30 new faces on their roster, but made it clear that the team should be a playoff contender in 2010.

"My expectations are that we're going to be better than average and we're going to be competing for the playoffs -- not just for next year, but for years to come," Weaver said. "If you do it the right way, there's no reason that you can't compete for the playoffs every year, and I think we've got the team in place."

Weaver also said money had nothing to do with his decision to keep Del Rio. The coach just completed the first year of a contract extension and would be owed nearly $16 million if fired -- a huge payout for a team that had nine of 10 home games blacked out on local television because of slumping ticket sales.

"Money is never a factor," Weaver said. "It's a lot of money. I'm not going to say it's not, but money is not a factor. I want to win. I want one of those rings."

And Weaver believes Del Rio can help him get one.

"The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result," Weaver said. "I don't think we're at that point.

"We know there's things we have to do differently and things we have to do a lot better than we have in the past, and I think we're all on the same page and have our sights on the same goals. I'm excited about where we're going with this football team."
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gianmarco said:
:goodposting:
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I'm a little dumfounded as well. I guess the owner didn't want to pay him not to coach. As a MJD dynasty owner, its probably a good thing. A new coach could want to bring in "his guys." We saw what happened to Eddie Royal, Tony Scheffler and Dwayne Bowe this year. Obviously MJD is on a different level than those three, but I don't think its out of the question that a new coach could take him from 365 touches back down to 260 or so.
 
Del Rio earned some good will by promoting Garrard over Leftwich, when most of the franchise would have been inclined to stick with Leftwich for years. However, he hasn't been able to oversee the kind of player development or scheming needed to compete against top teams. This franchise could be in for some serious changes this offseason, but the suprisingly good finish could extend the current regime for another year.

 
Jerry Lawler said:
Del Rio earned some good will by promoting Garrard over Leftwich, when most of the franchise would have been inclined to stick with Leftwich for years. However, he hasn't been able to oversee the kind of player development or scheming needed to compete against top teams. This franchise could be in for some serious changes this offseason, but the suprisingly good finish could extend the current regime for another year.
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You mean the two recent losses?
 
Strange that Del Rio is the 5th-longest tenured coach in the NFL, and if Fox and Fisher get canned this offseason then he'll be 3rd behind Reid and Belichick.

 
Time Kibitzer said:
So who is this attainable coach that the Jaguars can acquire that makes firing Del Rio the obvious choice. I don't see any.
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I'd be happy with some new blood. Garrard is painfully inconsistent and JDR is hitched to him. JDR is a defensive minded HC yet their defense is porous. They are bland and predictable. Bring in John Fox perhaps.
 
Time Kibitzer said:
So who is this attainable coach that the Jaguars can acquire that makes firing Del Rio the obvious choice. I don't see any.
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JDR has had 8 years to coach the Jaguars, during that time he as won a grand total of 0 division championships and 1 playoff game. I would love to see Coughlin back.
 
Tough time for JAX to think about making a move with all of the other much more high profile jobs either open or likely to open.

 
Ministry of Pain said:
Warpig said:
Time Kibitzer said:
So who is this attainable coach that the Jaguars can acquire that makes firing Del Rio the obvious choice. I don't see any.
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I'd be happy with some new blood. Garrard is painfully inconsistent and JDR is hitched to him. JDR is a defensive minded HC yet their defense is porous. They are bland and predictable. Bring in John Fox perhaps.
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:excited:
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Carolina had some impressive years offensively and defensively under Fox. Injuries and poor QB play have done him in. He's put together a good O-line (when they are all healthy), solid, young defense, and a helluva running game...that is a team built to win in the NFL. Maybe a change of scenery would be good for both parties involved.Ideally, I'd love to have Coughlin back in J-ville.

 
Ministry of Pain said:
Warpig said:
Time Kibitzer said:
So who is this attainable coach that the Jaguars can acquire that makes firing Del Rio the obvious choice. I don't see any.
Click to expand...
I'd be happy with some new blood. Garrard is painfully inconsistent and JDR is hitched to him. JDR is a defensive minded HC yet their defense is porous. They are bland and predictable. Bring in John Fox perhaps.
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:confused:
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He's right about the bland and predictable part though. EASILY the most boring team in the NFL year in and year out.
 
RockHard said:
Time Kibitzer said:
So who is this attainable coach that the Jaguars can acquire that makes firing Del Rio the obvious choice. I don't see any.
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JDR has had 8 years to coach the Jaguars, during that time he as won a grand total of 0 division championships and 1 playoff game. I would love to see Coughlin back.
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I don't doubt that the Jags would love to see Coughlin come back, but the chances of that are slim to none. First it would require he gets fired, which is far from a guarantee. Second, it would require Coughlin wanting to go back to Jacksonville, and I can't think of a compelling argument that would suggest he would want to come back. After winning a superbowl Coughlin will have numerous teams wanting to acquire him if he were to get fired, I don't see why he would choose Jacksonville.
 
I agree that Jacksonville needs better players. Wouldn't most agree that Jacksonville didn't look as good as their record either of the last two years? And as such, it could easily be argued that Del Rio got them to overachieve. Not saying he is untouchable by any means, but I am not sure firing him is a quick fix either.

 
Ghost Rider said:
I agree that Jacksonville needs better players. Wouldn't most agree that Jacksonville didn't look as good as their record either of the last two years? And as such, it could easily be argued that Del Rio got them to overachieve. Not saying he is untouchable by any means, but I am not sure firing him is a quick fix either.
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It's been 8 years I believe. More of the same. I don't think Schottenheimer got that long in San Diego and atleast he took them to the playoffs. J-ville can't seem to get over the hump. The coach has to go. Maybe he can latch on some where else as a LB coach?
 
As a Colts fan, I hope they keep JDR. That's one less team for the Colts to worry about!

Now, if Tenn fires Fisher, that makes 2.

And if the Texans fire Kubiak, that's the trifecta!!!!

 
I'm not a big JDR fan and definitely won't weep if he is fired, but all-in-all, I think he has done a pretty decent job this year given the roster he has. This team is, after all, in year two of rebuild mode. It is also worth noting that he hasn't had the most talent on his team during his tenure. With that said, prior to Gene Smith taking over the GM duties, he had a big say in drafting his players, so the lack of talent falls on him to a major extent. Additionally, we've seen year after year that this team is not always prepared for games, especially late in the season.

 
This is not a good football team. MJD is the only real playmaker on their roster. They have no elite playmakers on defense. They have some talent and I like the long-term outlook for their offensive line, but they are lacking in elite talent.

 
I think Del Rio shoulders a lot of the responsibility for the lack of good players on the roster. Good franchises have coaching staffs that develop players well and make their GM's look like draft experts. Jacksonville isn't the only team who had a 1st round grade on the guys they've chosen, but those guys have routinely busted as NFL players.

 
Jerry Lawler said:
I think Del Rio shoulders a lot of the responsibility for the lack of good players on the roster. Good franchises have coaching staffs that develop players well and make their GM's look like draft experts. Jacksonville isn't the only team who had a 1st round grade on the guys they've chosen, but those guys have routinely busted as NFL players.
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The Jags seem to be stuck as a middle of the road team. What are their prospects for trending towards elite on either side of the ball given their talent level? The defensive line is playing; I don't know enough about their LB corp to comment but their secondary is awful.On the offensive side their line seems to be developing and with MJD, Jennings and Karim they are set at RB. Garrard is OK but seems incapable of taking them to the promised land especially with the WR's they have. If they could somehow land a true #1 it could go a long way to making them more competitive on that side of the ball. If Del Rio stays they will need to upgrade their roster, as many have stated, to stay competitive within their division. If Kubiak goes they will have a tough time competing with the talent in Houston, Indy and even Tenn if that mess gets turned around.What is the mood amongst the fans in Jax in regards to Del Rio?
 
Probably due to the unsettled Labor situation. If they hire someone else and there is a lockout which goes into the summer, the new coach may not be able to install anything until the labor situation is settled. Which could mean new offensive, defensive schemes possibly would not be incorporated until right before the season begins which is not enough time. So, better to stick with the JDR to at least ensure consistency.

Its my theory and I'm sticking to it. Well to give credit where its due, its not really my theory. I heard some talking head on the radio saying that he thought there may be less coaching movement this year due to the looming labor problems. Makes sense.

 
Chief said:
Probably due to the unsettled Labor situation. If they hire someone else and there is a lockout which goes into the summer, the new coach may not be able to install anything until the labor situation is settled. Which could mean new offensive, defensive schemes possibly would not be incorporated until right before the season begins which is not enough time. So, better to stick with the JDR to at least ensure consistency.Its my theory and I'm sticking to it. Well to give credit where its due, its not really my theory. I heard some talking head on the radio saying that he thought there may be less coaching movement this year due to the looming labor problems. Makes sense.
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The OP is from last year. We don't know if he's staying this year. The labor situation could certainly have an affect on that decision as Weaver doesn't want to pay two coaches if there is no season.
 
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