JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The Jaguars said goodbye to head coach Doug Marrone on Monday after the worst season in franchise history.
“I am committed and determined to deliver winning football to the city of Jacksonville,” team owner Shad Khan said in a statement Monday. “Realizing that goal requires a fresh start in our football activities, and with that in mind, I spoke to Doug Marrone this morning to express my gratitude for his hard work over the past four seasons as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.”
Marrone has one year left on his contract and will be paid out through the 2021 season. The team fired general manager Dave Caldwell on November 29 and both openings should be in high demand as the Jaguars have the number 1 overall pick and four picks in the first two rounds and seven in the first four.
Sunday’s loss to Indianapolis in the season finale was the Jaguars’ 15th in a row, two games worse than the franchise’s previous record in the 2012-2013 seasons. It was also the Jaguars’ 21st loss in their last 24 games, going back to their week 8 victory over the New York Jets in the 2019 season. Fifteen of those losses were double digits.
Marrone has a record of 25-44 in four seasons with the Jaguars, including a score of 12-36 since winning AFC South with a 10-6 record in 2017 and making his appearance in the AFC title game. That was the franchise’s first division title since 1999 and its first playoff appearance since 2007.
Three seasons later, they are one of the worst teams in the league. Going into the season finale against the Colts, the Jaguars had already given up a franchise record of 464 points and were 27th or worse in the NFL in the four major defensive statistical categories (yards per game, rush, pass, and score). Offensively, the Jaguars were 27th or worse in yards per game, rushing and scoring, and 20th in passing, which is largely a product of being far behind in games and having to give up the run.
The Jaguars upset Indianapolis in the season opener, then lost a close game to Tennessee in Nashville, where they struggled to keep games close for the past six seasons to create some optimism that the team would be competitive and better than many thought .
Miami, Cincinnati and Houston took their first wins of the season against the Jaguars. Per Elias, that makes the Jaguars the first team in NFL history to lose three consecutive games to scoreless teams (excluding season openers).
Marrone was named interim head coach of the Jaguars on December 18, 2016, after owner Shad Khan fired Gus Bradley, who set a record 14-48 in nearly four seasons. Marrone, who had been the Jaguars’ assistant head coach / offensive line coach since 2015, became the head coach less than a month later.
Marrone served as the Buffalo Bills coach in 2013 and 2014, going 15-17 – including Buffalo’s first winning season in 10 years in 2014 (9-7) – before leaving his contract after a change of ownership. He was hired as the offensive line coach for the Jaguars and an assistant coach for offense for the 2015 season.
The Jaguars now join the Jets, Lions, Falcons and Texans as current teams with openings for the head coach.