JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Chris Doyle, Urban Meyer's controversial hire, announced his resignation Friday night from serving as the team's director of sports performance.
Despite that several ex-Iowa football players accused Doyle of making racial remarks that led to the school reaching a separation agreement with him last June, Meyer hired him anyway.
On Thursday, when Meyer formally introduced his staff, he defended Doyle's hiring, saying he vetted him thoroughly, along with the general manager and owner, and he is confident there will not be any issues.
However, the Jaguars issued a release at 11:17 p.m. Friday announcing that Doyle submitted his resignation that was accepted by the Jaguars.
''Chris did not want to be a distraction to what we are building in Jacksonville,'' Meyer said in a statement. ''We are responsible for all aspects of our program and, in retrospect, should have given greater consideration to how his appointment may have affected all involved. We wish him the best as he moves forward in his career.''
The Fritz Pollard Alliance, which pushes for more diversity in the NFL, issued a statement Friday that was titled "A Failure of Leadership by The Jacksonville Jaguars" in response to the franchise's decision to hire Doyle.
''At a time when the NFL has failed to solve its problem with racial hiring practices, it is simply unacceptable to welcome Chris Doyle into the ranks of NFL coaches," Fritz Pollard Alliance executive director Rod Graves wrote in a statement. "Doyle's departure from the University of Iowa reflected a tenure riddled with poor judgment and mistreatment of Black players. His conduct should be as disqualifying for the NFL as it was for University of Iowa.''
