The Jacksonville Jaguars have joined the growing list of NFL teams that are in search of a new head coach.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan announced in a statement on Monday that Doug Pederson has been fired as the team’s head coach. Khan praised Pederson for being “an accomplished football man who will undoubtedly enjoy another chapter in his impressive NFL career.”
What was particularly notable about Khan’s statement is that it essentially confirmed Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke will remain in his current role with the franchise.
“I strongly believe it is possible next season to restore the winning environment we had here not long ago,” Khan wrote. “I will collaborate with General Manager Trent Baalke and others, within and close to our organization, to hire a leader who shares my ambition and is ready to seize the extraordinary opportunity we will offer in Jacksonville.”
Jaguars owner Shad Khan: “I had the difficult task this morning of informing Doug Pederson of my intention to hire a new head coach to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars. Doug is an accomplished football man who will undoubtedly enjoy another chapter in his impressive NFL career, and…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2025
There had been speculation that both Pederson and Baalke would be fired, but the latter appears to be sticking around.
Pederson just finished his third season as the head coach in Jacksonville. He immediately turned things around for the team in 2022 following the disastrous Urban Meyer experiment. The Jaguars went 9-8 that year and reached the postseason. They went 9-8 again the following year but missed the playoffs. Jacksonville finished 4-13 this season.
Prior to being hired by the Jags, Pederson was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles for five seasons. The 56-year-old won a Super Bowl with Philly in 2017.
