The Jacksonville Jaguars have lost patience with their head coach Urban Meyer earlier than anyone could expect. The Jags announced late on Wednesday that Meyer has been relieved of his duties, bringing his tenure with the franchise to an end after just 13 games.
The announcement was followed by a public statement from Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan, who said he made the decision after “deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban’s tenure with our team.”
“I informed Urban of the change this evening. As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen,” Khan added. “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.”
According to Khan, Trent Baalke will continue to serve in the role of general manager. The Jaguars will wrap up the remainder of the 2021 NFL season, with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell serving as an interim head coach.
While Urban Meyer’s exit seems sudden, the truth is that the move was largely expected around the league. Meyer took over the head coaching duties with the task of changing the franchise’s culture and getting the best out of rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence. But it is safe to say he did neither.
Meyer’s time as the Jags’ head coach will be remembered for various off-the-field issues that included inappropriate behavior, poor relationship with the players, and publicly calling out his coaching staff. It wasn’t better on the field either, as the Jaguars struggled to perform and have a 2-11 record at the moment.
Being the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars was the first experience in the NFL for Meyer. He previously worked at college, where he won two national championships with Florida Gators and one with Ohio State.
