The Jacksonville Jaguars are hoping to somehow turn their offense into an area of strength heading into 2019, and they feel the offensive coordinator who came up short with the Minnesota Vikings this season can help them accomplish that goal.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the Jaguars have reached a deal to hire DeFilippo as their next offensive coordinator. The 40-year-old was fired by the Vikings in December after less than a full season with the team.
The #Jaguars are expected to hire former #Vikings OC John DeFilippo as their new offensive coordinator, sources say. Doug Marrone took his time with such a key hire, but when the deal gets done, he’ll have his guy.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 16, 2019
DeFilippo’s first job in the NFL was as offensive quality control coach for the New York Giants and then-head coach Tom Coughlin, who is now the executive vice president of football operations for the Jaguars. That level of familiarity may have helped.
The Vikings were a huge disappointment in 2018 after signing Kirk Cousins, and many feel they used DeFilippo as a scapegoat. In fact, the coach was believed to be a favorite for at least one head coaching position at one point, so he is obviously respected across the league. If DeFilippo can help rebuild the Jaguars in what will likely be the post-Blake Bortles era, that will be a nice boost for his resume.
