The Jacksonville Jaguars and offensive coordinator John DeFilippo decided to mutually part ways Monday morning, which means the Jags now have a new vacancy alongside the two they already had on offense. That means head coach Doug Marrone will be commencing a new search immediately for a replacement.
Here are some names that make sense for the Jags to consider:
New York Giants Mike Shula quarterback coach Mike Shula
Like Garrett, Shula has a ton of experience as both a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. In fact, Shula has been coaching in the NFL since the late 80s and has over 30 years’ worth of coaching experience.
He’s technically still employed by the Giants despite his boss Pat Shurmur getting fired after the 2019 season, but new head coach Joe Judge may have a new quarterbacks coach in mind and likely won’t hold Shula back if he wants to move on.
As we pointed out in our list of quarterback coach candidates, Shula has also groomed young talent before in Daniel Jones and Cam Newton, which, of course, is huge for Minshew. He also has coached in Jacksonville before under Jack Del Rio and may be open to coming back to Northeastern Florida.
Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett
This one may be a longshot, but the Jags could utilize a mind like Jason Garrett’s on offense. After all, he got both quarterbacks Tony Romo and Dak Prescott to play at a high level for the most part and has also propelled both to the postseason. Most importantly, he’d have no issues with making Leonard Fournette the centerpiece of the offense and would bring in a mind who could help fix the Jags’ offensive line.
As for Gardner Minshew II, Garrett’s track record with Prescott speaks volumes about what he could do with the second-year quarterback. Sure, it won’t be easy but maybe offering him a job as assistant head coach may help sway him.
Former Redskins head coach Jay Gruden
Since being fired this season, Jay Gruden has been laying low in hopes for another head coaching opportunity, but with the league’s head coaching jobs all being occupied, he may be open to settling for an offensive coordinator gig. Jacksonville could provide that for him and taking Minshew to new heights will put him on the league’s radar again.
Gruden is a coach who would be a great fit for Minshew schematically. He’s known for his west coast scheme in which Andy Dalton flourished with in Cincinnati and Minshew has some similar traits to the veteran quarterback. Like I mentioned with Garrett, the Jags may have to sweeten the deal by offering him a job as the team’s assistant head coach, but it’s certainly worth a shot.
Miami Dolphins consultant Jim Caldwell
Many Jags fans will remember him from his time as the Indianapolis Colts’ head coach (2009-11). Before that, was the team’s assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach under Tony Dungy and was able to win Super Bowl XLI while coaching Peyton Manning.
Since, he’s been on the Baltimore Ravens coaching staff as a quarterback coach and coordinator (won Super Bowl XLVII), the Detroit Lions as a head coach again, and the Miami Dolphins as a quarterbacks coach. Unfortunately, he was dealing with some health issues in his stop with the Dolphins and stepped down to a consultant role, but with the Eagles showing interest in him recently, it appears he’s good to return to the sidelines.
All of that said, Caldwell would be a fine hire as he’s experienced as they come and could bring in a wealth of knowledge to the staff. He also would be a coach who would cater to Minshew’s strengths as the young quarterback showed promise in 2019.
