JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — "This culture is all about winning. The players here want to win. I want to win."
That was the message new Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson gave during his introductory press conference Saturday afternoon at TIAA Bank Field.
"I'm eager and ready to hit the ground running," Pederson said.
Pederson, who won the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2017-18 season, comes to a team that finished with a 3-14 record in a season marred by scandal and the dismissal of Urban Meyer.
Team owner Shad Khan introduced Pederson shortly after noon, marking the end of a long process to find the seventh full-time head coach in Jaguars history.
"He's a man who accomplished a lot," Khan said. "A leader who commands respect and inspires other. A man who wins."
According to Khan, Pederson was first interviewed by the team on Dec. 30 and was the first candidate interviewed for the vacant head coaching position. He was finally hired by the team Thursday.
Khan said the Jaguars interviewed several other candidates but did not extend offers to anyone other than Pederson. He repeated throughout the press conference: "Doug is our guy."
After formally being introduced by Khan, Pederson offered his initial remarks. During those remarks, he promised a change in culture and said his goal is to win football games.
"There are some really, really, good players on this football team. The pieces are here, and that's why I'm excited. That's what drew me to the Jacksonville Jaguars," Pederson said. "My sole focus, starting the minute I was hired, is to really help them be their best, help are our team to win football games."
Pederson also spoke directly to the long-suffering fans in Jacksonville who are hungry for a winning football team.
"You've been through a lot, even this past season, but that's about to change," Pederson said. "I can promise you, I'm going to come to work every single day with the diligent task to make this a winning organization."
Pederson said patience would be important as he gets set to turn the program around, but it will have a payoff.
"This is not an overnight fix," Pederson said. "I'm not going to settle for anything less than a championship-caliber team."
The Jaguars have promise for the future with a generational quarterback Trevor Lawrence at the helm and the top-overall draft pick in April.
Pederson said he is especially excited to work with Lawrence and develop him into a championship quarterback.
"That's something I obviously looked at with the teams that were searching for head coaches is who is the quarterback and is that person in place. And here it is," Pederson said. "The sky's the limit."
While there was plenty of excitement for Pederson's arrival, Shad Khan was also asked about retaining general manager Trent Baalke, who many fans have called to be fired. Khan said Baalke will not be fired and says Baalke and Pederson will work together to make decisions for the team.
"I think they'll collaborate, and I'm part of the process too," Khan said.
Khan, the only NFL owner who a person of color, also addressed the ongoing controversy regarding the NFL's lack of diversity among head coaches, front offices and executive position.
Khan said "a lot needs to be done" and cited an open letter written by former Indianapolis head coach Tony Dungy.
"There's a lot of work to do, and I wish there was a quick fix," Khan said. "It says as much America as much as anything else. I think Tony Dungy's letter is really good. There's a lot of heavy lifting ahead, and we got to show results."