Following a brutal 4-13 season the Jacksonville Jaguars have fired head coach Doug Pederson and have decided to retain general manager Trent Balke, according to an official team statement issued on Monday.
“I had the difficult task this morning of informing Doug Pederson of my intention to hire a new head coach to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars,” Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in an official statement. “Doug is an accomplished football man who will undoubtedly enjoy another chapter in his impressive NFL career, and I will be rooting for Doug and his wife Jeannie when that occasion arrives. As much as Doug and I both wish his experience here in Jacksonville would have ended better, I have an obligation first and foremost to serve the best interests of our team and especially our fans, who faithfully support our team and are overdue to be rewarded. In that spirit, the time to summon new leadership is now.
“I strongly believe it is possible next season to restore the winning environment we had here not long ago. I will collaborate with General Manager Trent Baalke and others, within and close to our organization, to hire a leader who shares my ambition and is ready to seize the extraordinary opportunity we will offer in Jacksonville.”
Pederson went 22-29 in three seasons with the Jaguars, but 2024 had high expectations that were highlighted by Khan telling the team prior to the start of training camp that this was the “best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever” and that he expected a playoff appearance.
Khan, who bought the team back in 2011, will be searching for a new head coach for a 6th time during his tenure as team owner.
