The Jacksonville Jaguars have already interviewed former Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson for their head coaching vacancy, coming on Thursday. Now the organization also plans to virtually interview current Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles for their open position according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Like Pederson, Bowles has been a head coach before, though he didn’t share nearly the same success. Bowles spent four seasons as the head coach of the New York Jets, in which he went 24-40. He also had a three-game stint as the acting head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2011, where he led his team to a 2-1 record.
After being fired from the Jets following a 4-12 season in 2018, Bowles has been the defensive coordinator for the Bucs, helping lead a top-ten unit each of the past two seasons in yards and points allowed. Thanks to his recent work, Bowles has quickly become a hot candidate within head coaching interview circles.
Head coach search continues with Todd Bowles
While Bowles is the latest candidate to interview, he won’t be the last as the Jags look to swiftly move on from the Urban Meyer regime.
Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has chosen to wait until the regular season ends to start his interview process with the Jags. Ditto for Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
If there’s one trait the Jags seem to be prioritizing early on in the interview process, it’s experience. After their latest experience with Meyer, seeking out a more professional coach who’s been there before is a good route to go. We’ll see just how quickly Jags owner Shad Khan and general manager Trent Baalke make their decision on their next head coach to help get Trevor Lawrence where he needs to be. Though, to be fair, they likely can’t do much worse than Meyer.