The search for Urban Meyers' replacement in Jacksonville reportedly has begun.
Tuesday marked the first day NFL teams could request interviews for head coaching positions, and the Jaguars apparently wasted no time asking around the league. The organization has put in tickets to speak with the following people, according to reports from ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero:
-- Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich
-- Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles
-- Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore
-- Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn
-- Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus
-- Former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson
Half of those candidates have NFL head coaching experience. Pederson has been out of the league since he was fired by Philadelphia in January of 2021, roughly three years after he led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl win in franchise history. Bowles was at the helm for the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018, while Quinn's stint with the Atlanta Falcons of five-plus years included a Super Bowl appearance.
Leftwich, Moore and Eberfuls never have been a head coach at any level, but the Bucs OC has ties to the Jaguars franchise. Jacksonville selected Leftwich with the seventh overall pick in 2003, and he quarterbacked the Jags for the first four seasons of his 10-year playing career.
A notable name not on that list -- for now -- is Josh McDaniels. A recent report indicated New England's offensive coordinator was generating head coaching interest around the league and that the Patriots wouldn't prevent him from interviewing for HC jobs.
Jacksonville is 2-13 entering the penultimate week of the regular season. As it stands, the Jaguars will have the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft for a second consecutive year.
