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Jacksonville Jaguars fire GM Trent Baalke a week into head coaching search
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- Jacksonville Jaguars fire GM Trent Baalke a week into head coaching search
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking for a new general manager after firing Trent Baalke, team owner Shad Khan announced Wednesday afternoon.
Khan originally decided to stick with Baalke after firing Doug Pederson on Jan 6. But on Wednesday, one of the Jaguars' second-interview candidates for the head coaching position, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, decided to pass on the interview to stay with Tampa Bay.
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"Following several discussions with Trent Baalke this week, we both arrived at the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interest to respectfully separate, effective immediately," Khan said in a released statement. "I am deeply committed to building a winner here in Jacksonville and look forward to introducing a new head coach who will make that happen for our players and fans alike."
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Ethan Waugh will be the interim GM .
The firing comes 16 days after the team moved on from Pederson following the team's season-ending 26-23 overtime loss to the Colts in Indianapolis on Sunday., dropping their overall record to 4-13.
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Baalke, 60, was originally hired by the Jaguars as the team's director of player personnel before being promoted to interim general manager after former Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell was ousted. Baalke was retained as the team's full-time GM after the season.
Jacksonville Jaguars assistant general manager Ethan Waugh, left, stands with team owner Shad Khan at a recent practice.
Before Jacksonville, Baalke also had GM experience with the San Francisco 49ers (2011-16).
Baalke's Jaguars went 25-43 in four seasons. The team posted back-to-back winning seasons in 2022 and 2023, going 9-8 both years.
The move comes after the Jaguars slogged through a brutal and disappointing 2024 season, where the team played 13 one-score games. They were 3-10 in games decided by eight points or fewer. Those 10 one-score losses are the most by any team in a single season in the Super Bowl era (since 1966).
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The Jaguars finished 9-8 after starting the 2023 season 8-3, losing five out of their final six games that season.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan made his expectations known this offseason on multiple occasions.
"Make no mistake, this is the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars , ever. Best players, best coaches. But most importantly, let's prove it by winning now," said Khan.
Jacksonville Jaguars Manager Trent Baalke walks off the field during the third day of an NFL football training camp practice Friday, July 26, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
Baalke has made 38 draft picks since 2021. Of those, 30 remain with the team in some capacity. Only Trevor Lawrence has turned into a Pro Bowl player and zero have been named to All-Pro teams.
Baalke's tenure came with ups and downs. In 2022, the Jaguars brought in several free agents who quickly became key, impact starters for the team. The list included receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones , tight end Evan Engram , linebacker Foye Oluokun and right guard Brandon Scherff .
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Those signings, including defensive lineman Foley Fatukasi, amounted to the most guaranteed money spent in a single offseason in NFL history at the time — $175.3 million.
After opting to avoid free agency during the 2023 offseason largely, Jacksonville returned to the forefront of the open market, signing several players who were supposed to take the team to the next level.
The signings haven't paid off, however. Jacksonville acquired receiver Gabe Davis , center Mitch Morse , defensive end Arik Armstead , defensive backs Ronald Darby and Darnell Savage and receiver/return specialist Devin Duvernay .
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars fire GM Trent Baalke a week into head coach search
