Tuesday, November 29, 2011
JAX Gives Del Rio The AX - By Nick Hamilton
A season that has the Jacksonville Jaguars with a pathetic 3-8 record, team owner Wayne Weaver no longer retained the coaching services of head coach Jack Del Rio. Spending nine seasons with the team, the former USC Trojan defense great, never won any AFC South titles with a 1-2 playoff record, along with a 69-73 coaching record. Weaver gave Del Rio a $21 million, four year coaching extension back in 2007 after winning a huge playoff game. In 2008 the team struggled to make it a 5-11 record.
Since 2010 Del Rio has been on the hot seat, even thought Weaver revamped the roster and surprisingly kept Del Rio on board. Weaver decided not to fire Del Rio due to the uncertainty of the NFL lockout at the time. After struggling attendance, and a loss to AFC south division rival Houston Texans, the time had come for Del Rio to get the axe.
Del Rio had a reputation of throwing players and assistants under the bus constantly. He also made terrible quarterback decisions regarding Mark Brunell & Byron Leftwich back in 2003, and then with Byron Leftwich and David Garrard. Del Rio also was responsible for releasing QB David Garrard just five days before the season opener. which later put an enormous amount of pressure on rookie Blaine Gabbert who has struggled to keep up with the speed of the NFL.
The jaguar still owe Del Rio a reported $5.6 million.
Possibilities for Del Rio to turn up could be a defense coordinator for another NFL team like the Philadelphia Eagles, since the team has the defensive talent, and Del Rio is a defensive minded coach. Another place he could turn up could be at his old stomping grounds of USC on the defensive side of the ball, or he may sit out a year and become an analyst for a major sports network.
Wherever his future may take him, one things for sure, Jack Del Rio had nine seasons to get it right, hopefully if he's given a second head coaching opportunity, he'll remember he's no longer playing football, but coaching it.
Soon after the firing, Wayne Weaver also sold the team to 61 year old Illinois businessman Shahid Khan. Khan has promised for now to keep the team in Jacksonville. Since there is nothing written that Khan has to keep the team in Jacksonville, even their lease runs through the 2029 season. Let's be honest he'll keep the team there until Farmers Field is built in Los Angeles by 2015, then we'll see if Khan is dedicated to keeping Jaguars in Florida.
The sale of the Jaguars still subject to NFL approval, and if the owners vote to ratify the deal on December 14th, then by January 4th the sale will be official.
To the Jacksonville fans enjoy your team now, because they could be gone in the blink of an eye or by a moving truck in the middle of the night to Southern California.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
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