Prior to the team deciding to promote Doug Marrone, the Jacksonville Jaguars apparently met with former Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly.
They did so in the dark of the night without anyone really paying attention. At least, that’s according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Very quietly, Jaguars interviewed former 49ers HC Chip Kelly for their HC job before ultimately hiring Doug Marrone, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 15, 2017
To say that Jacksonville casted a wide net in its coaching search would be an understatement. Marrone and Kelly couldn’t be more different in what they bring to the table.
It’s also pretty darn surprising that Kelly’s name has surfaced as a potential head coaching candidate. He’s coming off a disastrous season in San Francisco, ultimately finding himself fired after a 2-14 mark. This came after a disastrous 2015 campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles.
We’re not too sure if Kelly will be a legitimate coaching candidate moving forward. After historical success at Oregon and solid initial success in Philadelphia, Kelly has fallen on hard times. This has led to some believing the NFL has caught up to his previously innovative offense.
At this point, Kelly might be best served returning to college as a head coach. Though, there’s talk of him wanting to remain in the NFL as an offensive coordinator.
At the very least, one team thought enough of Kelly to give him an interview after the dumpster fire we saw in San Francisco last season.