REPORT: Jaguars plan to interview former NFL head coach for vacancy

According to multiple sources, the Jacksonville Jaguars are interested in former Houston Texas general manager and head coach and current Alabama offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien for their head coaching vacancy. A discussion is planned for next week following Alabama’s national championship appearance on Monday night against Georgia.

John Reid of the Florida Times-Union reported the news first, and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network followed with confirmation.

Bill O'Brien will be interviewing for the Jaguars head coach job next week. — Didn't see that coming.

— John Reid (@JohnReid64) January 7, 2022

The offensive-minded coach has previously said Alabama head coach Nick Saban was the only one to call him while he was out of a job, and he headed to Tuscaloosa for the 2021 season. Under his tutelage, quarterback Bryce Young became the first Alabama signal caller to ever win the Heisman Trophy. As a team, Alabama leads the SEC in scoring and total offense.

O’Brien was fired from Houston last season after starting 0-4 and amidst turmoil in the organization. He was the general manager in 2020 and the head coach from 2014-2020. Prior to Houston, O’Brien was the head coach at Penn State for two years. He comes from the coaching tree of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and his roots are in the Northeast. O’Brien is from Massachusetts and played college football at Brown.

The Jaguars are looking for a replacement for former head coach Urban Meyer, who was fired in December.

Jaguars looking to right the ship with Lawrence at helm

O’Brien is a very attractive option for Jacksonville given what he just did with Bryce Young because the Jaguars are trying to maximize the talent of rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence was the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.

With one week of the regular season left, the Jaguars are 2-14. To date, Lawrence has completed 58.9% of his passes for 3,418 yards, 10 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He has an additional two rushing touchdowns and 317 yards on 63 attempts. Lawrence’s interception number leads the NFL.

The Jaguars end the 2021 season by hosting the Indianapolis Colts. While they have long been eliminated from the playoffs, they can significantly hinder the Colts’ chance of making the postseason with a win. If Indianapolis wins, they’re in. If they lose, they need serious help from other AFC teams. Of note, the Colts have not won in Jacksonville since 2014.

Indianapolis-Jacksonville kicks off at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, and the Colts are 15-point road favorites.