Top coaching candidate Ben Johnson is reportedly going to be the Chicago Bears next head coach. So why did the Jacksonville Jaguars miss out?
As always, there are likely numerous factors in play, but according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, she was told by a source that the “setup” in Jacksonville didn’t align with what Johnson was looking for.
Presumably, the “setup” that Russini is referring to is the organizational structure, including the general manager position. It’s been widely known that a key factor in Johnson’s decision throughout this process was going to be having alignment with the general manager.
The Jaguars, as we all know, while moving on from Doug Pederson, retained Trent Baalke as their general manager.
A report last week from SI’s Albert Breer said that owner Shad Khan had expressed some “flexibility” when it came to the general manager position to coaching candidates. However, either Khan wasn’t willing to move on from Baalke or that wasn’t good enough for Johnson.
During Baalke’s four year tenure as the team’s general manager, the Jaguars have a record of 25-43. Sandwiched in between a three win season in 2021 and a four win season in 2024, are two 9-8 seasons that include one playoff berth and one playoff win.
Now, with Johnson out of the picture, the Jaguars will continue to focus on holding their second round of head coaching interviews. Two names that Breer mentioned in his Monday edition of the Monday Morning Quarterback were Liam Coen and Robert Saleh.
