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Urban Meyer fired as Jaguars coach 13 games into first NFL season amid controversies
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- Urban Meyer fired as Jaguars coach 13 games into first NFL season amid controversies
Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired Urban Meyer early Thursday morning, naming offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell as interim head coach.
''After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban's tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone,'' Khan said in a statement. ''As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen.''
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Trent Baalke will continue as general manager to work with Bevell to ensure that the team will be inspired and competitive, Khan said. Bevell served as the Detroit Lions interim head coach last season for the final five games of the 2020 season after Matt Patricia was fired, going 1-4.
Meyer, who signed a five-year contract, couldn't make it out of the first year with the Jaguars with four games left in the regular season with a 2-11 record. It was one embarrassing incident after the next with the last straw coming Wednesday when former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo told the Tampa Bay Times that Meyer kicked him during a practice in August.
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One mishap after the next for Urban Meyer
On Monday, Khan said he wanted to do the right thing for the franchise and city and promised he wouldn't make an impulsive decision to determine Meyer's fate, but admitted this season was different than any other because of the losses and drama.
It went downhill for Meyer, 57, starting in October when two embarrassing videos surfaced on Twitter. One of the videos showed Meyer touching a woman's backside in a restaurant bar in Columbus, Ohio. Another video showed Meyer sitting in a chair while a woman who is not his wife was seen dancing up to him.
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Instead of flying back with the team after their 24-21 Thursday night loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4 that dropped the Jaguars to 0-4, Meyer chose to remain in Ohio.
Khan blasted Meyer's behavior as inexcusable, declaring that Meyer must regain their trust and respect and it was going to take a personal commitment from Meyer to everyone who supports, represents or plays for our team.
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Beginning of the end: New video appears to show Jaguars coach Urban Meyer touch a woman's backside at Ohio bar
Meyer couldn't deliver as speculation persisted that he treated players like kids instead of grown men. He appeared to be too caught up in having control and power instead of having the right answers to win football games.
This past weekend, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported, citing sources, that Meyer had multiple run-ins with players and coaches that had developed into an ongoing tension at the Jaguars facility for months.
Urban Meyer mishandled James Robinson benching
During a Dec. 5 game against the Los Angeles Rams , Jaguars running back James Robinson appeared to get punished for fumbling when he sat out for 20 plays. But instead of taking ownership for the decision to bench Robinson, Meyer told reporters after the game to ask running backs coach Bernie Parmalee for an explanation. Meyer also said he didn't micromanage his assistants.
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Asked repeatedly whether Robinson was benched for the fumble or because of a heel/knee injury, Meyer danced around the question for three days.
However, franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence made a public plea in support of Robinson, saying the second-year running back needs to be on the field because he is one of their best players.
According to Pelissero's report, it was Meyer who made the decision to bench Robinson. Meyer also reportedly got into a heated exchange with wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr., two weeks ago.
Jones, one of the most respected players on the team, made his first public comments Wednesday and did not deny he had a disagreement with Meyer, but he said they handled it like grown men.
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''Obviously, there's been a lot of drama like whatever has caused everything, who even knows at this point,'' Lawrence said Wednesday. ''There's been a lot of drama and for me, I think it's important to be truthful, but with that, like I said, you can't say everything that's on your mind. You have to have a filter and you have to be careful. I have a lot of appreciation for all those guys in there that's been working to try to get this thing right. It hasn't been easy, so I have a lot of appreciation for the players, for the coaches, for everybody.''
Urban Meyer's first major misstep was hiring Chris Doyle
Meyer's first misstep occurred in February when he hired former University of Iowa strength coach Chris Doyle as the team's director of sports performance. Meyer defended the hiring of Doyle despite accusations he made racist remarks, belittled and bullied players. But Doyle resigned after the franchise received mounting pressure after the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which pushes for more diversity in the NFL, issued a statement titled "A Failure of Leadership by The Jacksonville Jaguars" in response to the decision to hire Doyle.
In July, the NFL fined the Jaguars $200,000 and Meyer $100,000 for excessive contact during a June 1 organized team activity practice. The team also must forfeit two OTAs during the first week of the 2022 offseason.
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In May, the Jaguars signed Tim Tebow, reuniting him with Meyer, who coached him at Florida from 2006-09. A Heisman Trophy winner in 2007, Tebow helped the Gators win two national championships as their starting quarterback under Meyer. But Tebow was signed to play tight end and couldn't make it past the first round of cuts in August.
Also, Meyer could not carry over the success he enjoyed in 17 seasons as a college coach that included winning three national championships, two when he coached the Florida Gators, on the NFL level. From the start of the regular season, Meyer appeared to be in over his head, unable to find answers to turn around a stagnant offense that has averaged 9.1 points over the last seven games. Two weeks ago, the Jaguars (2-11) clinched their 10th losing season in 11 years.
Urban Meyer unable to carry over success enjoyed as a college coach
The Jaguars suffered their first shutout defeat since 2009 this past Sunday against the Titans, 20-0, after finishing with a franchise-low 8 yards rushing. It was the team's fifth consecutive loss, and the Jaguars' have dropped 15 straight road games.
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During his final press conference on Wednesday, Meyer said they tried just about everything to improve the offense but didn't see positive results.
"Oh, we tried tempo, we tried two-minute. We jumped into two-minute because the players asked for it,'' Meyer said. ''It's not being effective right now, but when you talk about trying and looking at different things, spending time on Monday and Tuesday night
until late hours, just trying to put the puzzle together. Who's healthy, who's not healthy? We're trying."
Khan hired Meyer in January, selecting him over Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Atlanta Falcons interim coach Raheem Morris and Tennessee offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who were all interviewed.
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But from the start, Meyer was the Jaguars' top target. He was the only candidate granted an in-person interview with Khan on his yacht. After Meyer's hiring became official, Khan said: ''Urban is who we want and need, a leader, winner and champion who demands excellence and produces results and it was a great day for Jacksonville and Jaguars fans everywhere.''
Urban Meyer era over after 13 games
The Jaguars will begin a search to hire their third head coach since Doug Marrone was fired after going 1-15 in 2020 when this season mercilessly ends on Jan. 9 against the Indianapolis Colts.
''In the spirit of closure and recharging our players, staff and fan base, I will not comment further until some point following the conclusion of the NFL season," said Khan, who attended the NFL owners meetings on Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Urban Meyer fired: Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan fires head coach
