The Jacksonville Jaguars hired Doug Pederson in 2022 to fix Trevor Lawrence and repair the damage done by Urban Meyer. Jacksonville has realized years later that it made a mistake and it’s finally time to make a change. With Pederson on his way out, we’re evaluating Jaguars coaching candidates for next offseason.
Jacksonville went 9-8 in its first season with Pederson at the helm, even winning a playoff game. The momentum carried over into an 8-3 start the following season, with Lawrence showing flashes of star-caliber play. Since December 2023, though, the Jaguars have gone 3-14 with Pederson forcing the organization to make a change.
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- Doug Pederson coaching record (Pro Football Reference): 62-62-1 overall, 20-25 as the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach
Let’s dive into our Jaguars coaching candidates to replace Pederson in 2025. Bookmark this page as we’ll add more candidates during the season and value coaches brought in during the Jaguars coaching search.
Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
The Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders have both struck out on landing Ben Johnson and it won’t be easy to poach the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator. He wants a top salary and to land in the right situation that increases his chances of success. Landing with a quarterback like Trevor Lawrence and having offensive weapons such as Brian Thomas Jr, Tank Bigsby and Evan Engram certainly meet that.
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Strengthening the case for Johnson as one of the Jaguars coaching candidates, team owner Shahid Khan is one of the richest NFL owners. He could afford for Jacksonville to make Johnson one of the highest-paid NFL coaches. If Khan is also willing to fire general manager Trent Baalke, creating a scenario where Jacksonville hires a head coach who then helps pick out a general manager (like the San Francisco 49ers did with Kyle Shanahan), that could be another way to lure Johnson to Florida.
Klint Kubiak, New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator
New Orleans Saints first-year offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was the name being talked about around the NFL early in the season. In the first two games, the Saints offense led the NFL in scoring and total yards and ranked first in EPA per Play (0.307) with the second-highest Dropback EPA (0.52) and Rush EPA (0.174). Then, injuries to the Saints offensive line, receiver corps and Derek Carr devastated this offense.
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Since Carr’s return in Week 9, coinciding with the Saints offensive line getting healthier, Kubiak has maximized a unit whose leading receiver is Marquez Valdes-Scantling. From Weeks 9-11, the Saints offense ranked seventh in EPA per Play (0.122) ahead of teams like the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints. Carr also has a 115.2 QB rating and a 5-0 TD-INT rate while averaging 9.1 yards per attempt over that span. Kubiak’s time under Kyle Shanahan would also mean he prioritizes the Jaguars’ rushing tandem of Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, all while bringing in a quarterback-friendly system.
Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator
While the Jaguars coaching search will be exhaustive with countless candidates brought in for interviews, the organization might not even have to leave the state to find Pederson’s replacement. In his first year replacing Todd Canales, who landed a head-coaching job after just one season as a play-caller, Liam Coen has actually outcoached his predecessor.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense (2023): 5.1 yards per play (20th), 20.5 PPG (20th), 41.5% third-down conversion rate (10th), 0.008 EPA per Play (12th)
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- Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense (2024): 5.8 yards per play (8th), 27.9 PPG (5th), 50% third-down conversion rate (2nd), 0.095 EA per Play (9th)
Keep in mind that Tampa Bay has been without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for a quarter of the season. Even with that, Coen is getting the best out of Baker Mayfield and he’s transformed a ground game that ranked dead last in rushing last season (88.8 rush ypg and 3.4 ypc) and is now averaging 125.3 rushing yards per game with a 5.0 ypc average this season. Coen is probably one of the more underrated Jaguars coaching candidates.
Mike Vrabel, former Tennessee Titans head coach
We’ve prioritized offensive-minded Jaguars coaching candidates who can help Lawrence play up to his talent level. While that seems like the most probable direction this franchise will take, there’s an equally strong argument that this team needs a cultural change. Thinking long-term, there are few better options than former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel.
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Vrabel went 41-24 with a .631 winning percentage in his first four seasons with Tennessee. The Titans roster really deteriorated after that, in large part because of former general manager Jon Robinson. However, Vrabel still squeezed out a 13-21 record in his final two years at the helm. Vrabel could bring much-needed change to this Jaguars defense, a level of accountability that Pederson lacked and he’s well-liked by players. As for the Xs and Os and game planning, that can be done by a bright offensive coordinator who can focus entirely on helping Lawrence while Vrabel handles head-coaching duties.