Given that the Jaguars did not hire their new head coach until the first week of February (let alone the fact that there was a 33-day gap between Doug Pederson's first and second formal interviews with the Jaguars), one might think the organization will have to play catch-up. Pederson only just arrived in Jacksonville Saturday. General manager Trent Baalke was not present at the 2022 Senior Bowl because of Pederson's hiring press conference. The Jaguars have many, looming questions regarding the current roster that will need to be answered in the next month.
And yet, when asked if Pederson felt behind the eight-ball in putting together his coaching staff, Pederson was direct and brief.
"No."
The reporter then went to ask Pederson's confidence level in assembling a staff on semi-short notice. Pederson didn't even let the reporter finish his question.
"Very high."
And, evidently, for good reason. First Coast News has heard from a variety of sources that Pederson's staff was already being assembled before his plane landed in Jacksonville, a stark contrast to the hire of Urban Meyer a little over a year ago.
RELATED: 'I'm eager and ready to hit the ground running' | Jaguars introduce new head coach Doug Pederson
Here are some of the potential candidates to fill out Pederson's first staff in Jacksonville.
Offensive Coordinator
Press Taylor
UPDATE, February 10: Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network is reporting that the Jaguars are set to hire Taylor as their next offensive coordinator.
The younger brother of Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, Press Taylor was Pederson's offensive coordinator in 2020 after serving as quarterbacks coach (2018-2019) and an offensive quality control coach (2013-2017). The former junior college stand-out and Marshall University quarterback spent this past season working as a senior offensive assistant with the Colts.
Multiple sources have told First Coast News that Taylor is expected to be a part of Pederson's staff in some capacity -- whether that be as offensive coordinator or something else.
Passing Game Coordinator
Jim Bob Cooter
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Jaguars are set to hire Cooter, the former Lions offensive coordinator, as their passing game coordinator. While he will not fill the role of offensive coordinator, he would still be vital in the continued development of Trevor Lawrence.
Cooter has been in the NFL since 2009, splitting his time with the Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, and New York Jets. He served as a consultant for the Eagles in 2021. Cooter is a former back-up quarterback at Tennessee.
Defensive Coordinator
Mike Caldwell
UPDATE February 11: After reportedly hitting roadblocks in negotiations, the NFL Network is reporting that the Jaguars are set to officially hire Caldwell as their new defensive coordinator. Mike Garafolo and ESPN's Field Yates doubled down on the report Friday, saying the Jaguars should be announcing their next staff (including Caldwell) sometime next week.
Interestingly enough: the Buccaneers inside linebackers coach was rumored to be a candidate on both a Pederson-Jaguars staff and a potential Byron Leftwich-Jaguars staff.
Caldwell has never been a defensive coordinator before, but is a long-time protégé of Buccaneers' defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. He has been with the Bucs since 2019 and spent 2015-2018 as the assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach with the Jets. Caldwell first broke into the league with the Philadelphia Eagles and spent 2008-2012 with the Birds in a variety of roles. He played for six different teams in his 10-year playing career, including 1998-2001 with the Eagles.
The quarterback for the Eagles in 1999? Doug Pederson.
Gerald Alexander
UPDATE, February 10: With Mike McDaniels' new staff taking shape (and over) in Miami, the South Florida Sun Sentinel and NFL Network are both now reporting that Alexander has been "fired" by the Dolphins. If that is the case, Alexander would be able to interview for any post on Doug Pederson's staff -- not just one above his current title.
The former player and Dolphins' defensive backs coach is reportedly interviewing for the Jaguars' defensive coordinator position, although by many accounts, it may be for the passing game coordinator position.
Alexander actually played for the Jaguars from 2009-2010, part of a five-year NFL career. He broke into the coaching ranks in 2016 as an intern with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After spending three seasons as the Carolina Panthers defensive backs coach, he has spent the past two in Miami. Following the news that he would be interviewing in Jacksonville, Dolphins players immediately sounded off:
Vic Fangio
The recently let-go head coach of the Denver Broncos is regarded as one of the best defensive coordinators of the past decade. He interviewed in an unknown capacity with the Jaguars the week prior to Pederson's hiring; our partners at the Florida Times-Union report that, contrary to what national outlets reported, Fangio's interview was actually for defensive coordinator for a, at the time, still yet-to-be-determined head coach.
Fangio has served as the defensive coordinator for the Bears (2015-2018), 49ers (2011-2014), Texans (2002-2005), Colts (1999-2001), and Panthers (1995-1998). Fangio is also considered a preliminary candidate for the Dolphins open defensive coordinator post.
Quarterbacks Coach
Mike McCoy
The former San Diego Chargers head coach is set to become the Jaguars next quaterbacks coach, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
McCoy helped future Hall of Famer Philip Rivers to some of the best years of his career from 2013-2016. He then served as the Broncos offensive coordinator (2017) and Cardinals offensive coordinator (2018) but was fired midway through both seasons. The former Utah quarterback broke into the league with the Carolina Panthers in 2000. He was a critical player in the development of Jake Delohmme during his tenure in Carolina from 2000 to 2008.
Offensive Assistant
Andrew Breiner
UPDATED, February 9: ESPN's Field Yates has reported that the Jaguars have officially added Briener as an offensive assistant.
Sirius XM's Adam Caplan was the first to note that Breiner, most recently Florida International University's offensive coordinator and a member of the Eagles staff in 2020, could potentially be joining Pederson's staff. Prior to spending the 2020 season as a passing game analyst for the Eagles, Breiner was the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Mississippi State.
Offensive Line Coach
Phil Rauscher
The Jaguars are hiring former Vikings and Washington Football Team offensive line coach Phil Rauscher, per ESPN's Field Yates. He will also reportedly serve as run-game coordinator.
Rauscher is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks. He has served as the Vikings offensive line coach the past two seasons after two seasons in Washington and three seasons in Denver. He won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos in 2016. Rauscher was an offensive lineman at UCLA from 2003 to 2005 before injuries cut his career short.
Tight End Coach
Richard Angulo
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec is reporting that the now-former Baltimore Ravens assistant offensive line coach is headed back to Jacksonville where he played from 2008-2009. Angulo has been the Ravens assistant offensive line coach since 2017, and he also served as their tight ends coach from 2015-2016.
Originally drafted by the Rams in 2003 out of Western New Mexico, Angulo spent seven years in the league with five different teams (Rams, Jaguars, Bears, Vikings, and Browns). The lone touchdown catch of his career came with Jacksonville.
Linebacker Coach
Bill Shuey
The Jaguars are reportedly hiring the now-former Chicago Bears outside linebacker, per Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Shuey previously worked in Philadelphia from 2008-2010, overlapping with Doug Pederson in his first stint with the Eagles.
With star pass rusher Khalil Mack sidelined most of the season, Shuey's Bears still racked up 31.5 sacks in 2021, as Robert Quinn blossomed into a star. A Lehigh Valley native, Shuey spent a decade with the Eagles before taking college jobs in Pennsylvania (West Chester from 2012-2013 and Widener 2014-2017). He had been with the Bears since 2018.
Tony Gilbert
A former Jaguars player, Gilbert has the unique distinction of having been a part of both Doug Marrone's staff and Urban Meyer's staff; now, there's reports he could also be a part of Doug Pederson's.
The University of Georgia alum played with the Jaguars from 2003-2007 and again 2010. He broke into the coaching ranks at his alma mater, spending almost a decade in the college ranks. His first job in the NFL came in 2020 with the Jaguars as assistant linebackers coach, a role he continued to hold in 2021.
Running Backs Coach
Bernie Parmalee
Another former player-turned-coach, Parmalee appeared in the Doug Pederson introductory video greeting his new players; now there's reports he will stay in Jacksonville in some coaching role. Parmalee served as running backs coach under Urban Meyer in 2021.
Parmalee spent seven seasons of his nine-year career in Miami with the Dolphins, scoring 20 touchdowns in 134 career games. He began his coaching career as the Dolphins' tight ends coach in 2002. He also spent time with the Chiefs and Falcons before landing with the Falcons for three seasons as their running backs coach and special teams coordinator.
Defensive Line Coach
Brentson Buckner
After spending the past several seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, former defensive tackle and veteran defensive line coach Brentson Buckner is headed to Jacksonville, per Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network.
Originally a second-round pick out of Clemson, Buckner enjoyed an 11-year playing career with the Steelers, Bengals, 49ers, and Panthers. His NFL coaching career began as an intern for the Steelers (2010-2012) before being hired as the Cardinals defensive line coach. Sandwiched in between his two stints serving as Cardinals' D-Line coach: a year with the Bucs as their D-Line coach (2018) and a year with the Raiders (2019).
Assistant Defensive Line Coach
Rory Segrest
Doug Pederson is tapping into the Billy Napier pipe-line for this hire -- although, technically, Segrest teamed up with Pederson first.
The Jaguars are reportedly adding the Louisiana-Lafayette assistant coach to their staff. Segrest spent 2006-2010 with the Philadelphia Eagles in a variety of roles; Pederson served as quarterbacks coach with the Eagles from 2008-2009. Segrest has spent the past four seasons in Louisiana, coaching alongside Napier, now the head coach of the Florida Gators.
Segrest is a graduate of Waycross High School.
Special Teams Coordinator
Heath Farwell
A Super Bowl champion and former Pro Bowler, Farwell has led the Buffalo Bills' special teams to a Top-15 ranking each of the past three seasons. According to the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, with Farwell's contract expiring, the Jaguars have snatched up the former linebacker-turned-special teams guru.
Farwell has quickly moved up the NFL coaching ranks. After just three seasons as an assistant special teams coach (two with the Seahawks and one with the Panthers), he was hired as the Bills special teams coordinator in 2019.
Farwell won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks in the final year of his 11-year playing career.
Safeties Coach
Cody Grimm
The Athletic's Tampa Bay Buccaneers reporter Greg Auman is reporting that soon-to-be Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell is bringing the former defensive and special teams assistant with him to Jacksonville. The former Bucs safety spent the past three seasons back in Tampa on Bruce Arians' staff. He was originally drafted in the seventh-round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Bucs. He is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman and long-time NFL assistant coach Russ Grimm. His older brother, Chad, is the outside linebackers coach for the Washington Commanders.
Secondary Coach
Deshea Townsend
Despite agreeing to terms with the Vikings earlier this week, former Steelers defensive back-turned-rising star coach Deshea Townsend had a change of heart and will now reportedly join the Jaguars' staff, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
After a 13-year playing career (all but one of which came with Pittsburgh), Townsend joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2011 as the assistant defensive backs coach. Since then, he's coached defensive backs at Mississippi State, the Titans, the Giants and the Bears. He won two Super Bowls with the Steelers.
- - - -
Defensive Coach
Matt Burke
Sources tell First Coast News that Burke, Pederson's defensive line coach with the Eagles in 2020 and the Dolphins defensive coordinator from 2017-2018, could also be a candidate for DC with the Jaguars. Burke has been in the NFL since 2004, spending time with six different teams. He most recently was the game management coach for the Jets in 2021.
Defensive Backs Coach
Tim Hauck
Another former teammate and longtime assistant coach of Pederson's (both with the Eagles), Hauck was Philadelphia's safeties coach from 2016-2020. A 12-year, veteran safety who spent time with seven different teams in his career, Hauck has experience coaching at both the professional (Eagles, Browns, Titans) and college levels (Montana, UCLA, UNLV). Given current defensive backs coach Chris Ash is expected to depart for Las Vegas, the door is now open for his replacement to also feature a similar, college-pro blend.
