The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the top head coaching opportunities for New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, but that job has now been filled according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Jacksonville planning to hire Doug Marrone as HC, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 9, 2017
Marrone is the former offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints (2006-08), the former head coach of Syracuse (2009-12), the former head coach of the Buffalo Bills (2013-14), and the former assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2015-16).
It seems like the Jaguars preferred an internal promotion over a fresh mind.
McDaniels is now down to the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers as possible opportunities. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is also looking at the Rams, along with the San Diego Chargers.
The Rams are a tough sell because they mortgaged their future drafts to select QB Jared Goff first overall in the 2016 NFL Draft; the new head coach has to love Goff, or there’s no reason to take the job. With McDaniels and Patricia understanding how great their current situation is with the Patriots, it’s fair to question if they’re actually interested in the Rams job.
The 49ers make a lot of sense for McDaniels, if he is allowed to rebuild the franchise from the ground up; while Patricia would enjoy all the defensive toys in San Diego, along with a fairly established offense.