Jaguars set to interview interim HC Darrell Bevell for full-time gig

The Jaguars continue their search for a new head coach following a disappointing 2021 season.

The Jaguars will be interviewing interim head coach Darrell Bevell for a shot to take the interim tag off sometime in the not-so-distant future.

Bevell confirmed that to local reporters this morning indicating that general manager Trent Baalke came to him today to inform him owner Shad Khan would like to start the process.

The expectations always were that Bevell would be considered a candidate for the job once the games are played. Khan met with the team recently to discuss finishing out the season, and that included Bevell’s role as the team’s interim.

“They [Jaguars leadership] have spoken with me today that I would get an opportunity to interview, but not set on the time yet,” Bevell said.

Now that the season is over, the offensive coordinator, turned interim head coach over the past two seasons can get his shot.

Bevell, 52, began this year as the team’s offensive coordinator under former head coach Urban Meyer. Bevell has coached in the NFL since 2000, earning his first opportunity as an assistant quarterbacks coach with the Green Bay Packers.

He’s been an offensive coordinator in several other landing spots, including with the Minnesota Vikings (2006-2010), Seattle Seahawks (2011-17), Lions (2019-20) and Jaguars.

This season, the team’s offense struggled mightily, due to both on-the-field and off-the-field issues. He would become the interim HC after Meyer was fired following the team’s Week 13 loss against the Tennessee Titans.

Away from the gridiron, there were reports of mistrust stemming from Meyer towards the team’s offensive staff, specifically.

Still, the team never quite took form on the field offensively, making critical mistakes even down the stretch while Bevell was in charge. They’d put it all together yesterday, however, as the team defeated the Indianapolis Colts 26-11 in its best offensive showing, at least in the passing game, to date.

When asked what his pitch or reason why he should remain the head coach would be, Bevell was clear he’d like to hang his hat on getting the guys up and ready to face off against a divisional opponent and win as decisively as they did.

“Obviously, I would like to win some more games. But, with the progression, we made in those last four games, and really culminating with that last opportunity, again, I was fired up. That’s the team that I pride myself on, the team that played in that last game with the enthusiasm, with the passion that they played. I think you could see the effort was there, guys were flying around,” Bevell said.

“You know, I think the question that you guys kept asking me was, ‘what do these guys have to play for? What do they have to play for?’ right? And it showed you right there that they did have a lot to play for. Again, knock the opponent out of the playoffs, a divisional opponent.

“And to be able to get those guys when a lot of people think there wasn’t a lot to play for, to play, I think that’s really what I would like to hang my hat on.”

The team finished the year ranked No. 32 in points with just 253, 27th in yards with just 5,191 and well short in nearly every other offensive category aside from yards per attempt on the ground, coming in at No. 9 with 4.5 yards per attempt.

Bevell has never been a full-time head coach during his years in the NFL, but has held the interim tag two times, once this year in Jacksonville and once last season in Detroit with the Lions.

Now, it appears he will get an opportunity to make his case.