Jaguars Hire Doug Marrone As Head Coach

Update:

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Jaguars are now finalizing an agreement to officially hire Doug Marrone as their next head coach.

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ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Jaguars are planning to hire Doug Marrone as their next head coach.

• Ian Rapoport confirms the news and adds that an offering is coming for Marrone to be their head coach.
• Rapoport says that the Jaguars “liked the direction” Marrone took their offense in and his “belief” in QB Blake Bortles.

Earlier in the day, a report mentioned that Buccaneers DC Mike Smith was viewed as the top candidate for the job, but others cautioned that Marrone was a serious candidate and shouldn’t be discounted for the job.

The Jaguars’ are the first team to fill their head-coaching vacancy. In total, they interviewed six candidates including Marrone, Smith, Tom Coughlin, Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels and Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan.

Bills interim HC Anthony Lynn was also linked to the job but did not interview for the job.

Marrone, 52, was hired by the Bills as their head coach back in 2013 after he had spent a number of years with at Syracuse. During this two seasons with the Bills, Marrone led the team to a record of 15 and 17 (46.9 percent) before he surprising voided his contract with the team to become a free agent.

The thinking at the time was that Marrone was going to be hired by the Jets. However, he didn’t secure another head-coaching job and eventually ended up on the Jaguars’ coaching staff as an assistant.

The Jaguars promoted him to interim head coach after they parted ways with Gus Bradley towards the end of the season.

As an NFL head coach, Marrone has won 16 games and lost 18 for the Bills and Jaguars, which includes one winning season while he was with the Bills.