Coach Chris Doyle resigned from the Jaguars a day after new head coach Urban Meyer made the controversial decision to hire the former college assistant on his staff.
Meyer, who was hired for his first NFL job last month, announced late Friday night that Doyle had stepped down from his position as director of sports performance following the backlash his hiring caused. Diversity group the Fritz Pollard Alliance had strongly criticized Jacksonville for hiring Doyle.
Doyle was the main strength and conditioning coach at the University of Iowa until 2020, when he and the school agreed to part ways after being accused of making racist comments and bullying players.
“Chris Doyle came to us tonight to tender his resignation and we have accepted it,” Meyer said in a statement Friday. Chris didn’t want to be a distraction from what we’re building in Jacksonville. We are responsible for all aspects of our program and afterwards should have given more thought to the implications of his appointment for everyone involved. We wish him the best as he progresses in his career. “
Some black players in Iowa accused Doyle of telling them he would “send them back to the ghetto” if they didn’t meet his standards, according to USA Today among others. An external evaluation of the situation concluded that “a small group of coaches” humiliated players and “the rules of the program perpetuated racial or cultural bias and diminished the value of cultural diversity.”
Doyle defended himself in a statement last June by saying, “I don’t make racist (sic) comments and I don’t tolerate people who do.”
Meyer initially defended the recruitment at a press conference on Thursday, saying he was “confident” there would be no problems with 52-year-old Doyle.
“I’ve known Chris for nearly twenty years,” said Meyer, going on to say that his “relationship” with Doyle began when the two were at the University of Utah together. The only problem with Meyer’s memory is that Doyle worked in Utah in 1998 and was already a strength and conditioning coach in Iowa when Meyer began his two-year career as a Utah head coach in 2003.
“Really, he did sports performance before sports performance became a high priority in college sports,” said Meyer. ‘So I knew him, I studied him, we were in a relationship. I have vetted him thoroughly, together with our general manager [Trent Baalke] and owner [Shahid Khan]
Many agreed that Doyle was hired, including Rod Graves, executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance. Named after the first African-American coach in the NFL, the organization is made up of coaches, scouts, and front office workers who are committed to equal opportunity in professional sports.
“At a time when the NFL has not resolved its problem with racial recruiting practices, it is simply unacceptable to welcome Chris Doyle to the ranks of NFL coaches,” Graves, a former Jets manager, said in a statement Friday. Doyle’s departure from the University of Iowa reflected a tenure of poor judgment and mistreatment of black players. His behavior should be as disqualifying to the NFL as it is to the University of Iowa.
“Urban Meyer’s statement, ‘I’ve known Chris for nearly 20 years’ reflects the good old boy network which is precisely why there is such inequality in employment for black coaches.”