Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 Head Coaching Candidates to Replace Gus Bradley

Who are the top head coaching candidates to replace Gus Bradley with the Jacksonville Jaguars?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have finally fired head coach Gus Bradley. This move has been made official by the team and will be effective immediately.

Bradley was hired by the Jaguars back in 2013 after his success as the defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. Bradley never had anything close to a winning record with the Jaguars, with their 5-11 season in 2015 being their best under his control.

It was time for both sides to move on. The Jaguars are not a finished product, but they do have a lot of young and interesting talent. They should be winning more games than they have. Simply put, somebody had to take the fall for the Jaguars going 14-48 over the time that Bradley has been their head coach.

At 2-12, the Jaguars’ 2016 season is effectively over. The only thing that matters now is draft position and the growth of young players already on the roster. With that in mind, it made perfect sense to get rid of Bradley now, and get a head start to their head coaching search.

Who will be the next head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars? We are unlikely to know anytime soon, but there are plenty of interesting candidates available. Let’s take a look at the top five candidates for the Jaguars.

Oct 30, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith looks on prior to the game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

5. Mike Smith, Defensive Coordinator — Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Even before Bradley was fired by the Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith was rumored as a favorite for the job. According to Pro Football Weekly, “Smith might believe the Jaguars job is his if he wants it, and that he has already begun reaching out to candidates to put a staff of assistants together.”

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This rumor is a bit vague, but it appears that we have an early favorite. Smith is a great coach who has done an incredible job with the Buccaneers this season. The Bucs are not exactly loaded with talent on the defensive side of the ball, but they have been one of the best defenses in the league down the stretch.

Smith deserves a ton of credit for the Bucs’ defensive success, and he is clearly a top head coaching candidate. Also, Smith was the defensive coordinator in Jacksonville from 2003-07, and had a ton of success as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2008-14.

During Smith’s time in Atlanta, current Jaguars’ general manager David Caldwell was an important part of the Falcons’ front office. There is a lot of familiarity here and Smith’s head coaching experience is undoubtedly a mark in his favor. I caution putting too much into this early rumor about Smith being the favorite. These kind of things pop up a lot around teams who are likely to make a head coaching change. The Jaguars are going to do their due diligence with a full search.

That being said, it is certainly a fit that makes sense and I would not be surprised if Smith ends up being their guy at the end.

Sep 11, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash during the first half at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

4. Todd Wash, Defensive Coordinator — Jacksonville Jaguars

Hiring straight from Bradley’s staff may not be a popular move for the Jaguars to make. That being said, there is reason to believe that this may not be the most appealing job for the top-tier candidates. If the Jaguars struggle to find a big name to take this job, current defensive coordinator Todd Wash would make a ton of sense.

The 48-year-old Wash has only been the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator for one season, but he has led the unit to a some defensive success. While they have allowed their fair share of points, the Jaguars have allowed the fifth-fewest yards in the entire NFL (316.4 per game).

They have an aggressive and exciting defensive unit that has a ton of upside going forward. I could envision a scenario where the Jaguars would like to keep change the voice leading the team, but have similar defensive principles in place. Hiring Wash to be the head coach would certainly do that. Wash would also keep the Jaguars’ 4-3 under defensive scheme. They already have strong pieces in play for the system, so changing to anything else would seemingly be a step back.

His lack of experience is a concern. Perhaps the best case scenario would be the Jaguars bringing in an elite-level offensive mind as the head coach, and allowing Wash to have complete control over the defense. However, that may not be a luxury they will have.

Wash is a motivated individual who would bring some familiarity to the position. If Wash is the choice, the Jaguars would certainly benefit from bringing a high-profile offensive coordinator on board. They could certainly do worse than a situation like that.

Aug 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan before a game against the Washington Redskins at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

3. Kyle Shanahan, Offensive Coordinator — Atlanta Falcons

Kyle Shanahan is going to be one of the hottest names on the head coaching circuit this off season. A young and bright offensive coach, Shanahan has the pedigree to be a successful head coach in the NFL.

Being Mike Shanahan’s son certainly does not hurt, but the current Falcons’ offensive coordinator deserves a chance at a job on his own merit. Shanahan has been an offensive coordinator since 2008, having varying degrees of success with the Houston Texans, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons.

Shanahan really seemed to hit his stride with Robert Griffin III in 2012, showcasing a complex offensive system that took advantage of his player’s premier skill-sets. RGIII was never the same after his time with Shanahan. His career has taken a significant down-turn, while Shanahan continues to put together high-level offensive units.

He is clearly one of the best offensive coaches in the NFL and deserves a chance to run his own team. Shanahan is a creative coach who has shown the ability to have success with a variety of difference players. He commits to the rushing attack, but does so with forward-thinking counter-based schemes that keeps the defense on their toes. Shanahan also showcases a strong passing attack and has been a great coach to quarterbacks throughout his career.

Shanahan would either be the guy to turn Blake Bortles around, or he is the guy who you want grooming the next quarterback. A smart and scheme versatile coach, hiring Shanahan as a head coach and keeping Wash to run the defense would be a fantastic situation.

Aug 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz prior to action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

2. Jim Schwartz, Defensive Coordinator — Philadelphia Eagles

Finding an offensive minded coach to work with Bortles and company may seem like the ideal situation for the Jacksonville Jaguars on paper. That being said, when looking at individual coaches, it is hard to argue that there is a better candidate than Jim Schwartz.

Schwartz was a high-profile defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans from 2001-2008. He was considered for many head coaching gigs through that time, and finally landed one with the Detroit Lions in 2009. Schwartz was stuck in a tough situation in Detroit, but he had a surprising amount of success with the team. Most notably, in 2011 Schwartz led the Lions to their first post season appearance since 1999.

It did not work out for Schwartz in Detroit, and he was eventually fired late in the 2013 season. However, Schwartz immediately landed back on his feet, and had an extremely successful season as the defensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills in 2014.

After a year off, Schwartz took over as the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles this season, and his wide nine defensive scheme has turned them into a high-ranking unit. Whether in Tennessee, Detroit, Buffalo or Philadelphia, Schwartz’ defenses have always been strong. He is known as a coach who gets the most out of his players, and has a particular knack for improving the defensive line. Led by young stars like Malik Jackson, Dante Fowler Jr. and Yannick Ngakoue, the Jaguars have a ton of talent up front.

Schwartz and his wide nine defense may be just what the doctor ordered for Jacksonville. An offensive mind like Shanahan may be more appealing to most, but it is hard to argue with Schwartz’ success and he has the experience that those making these hires love. Pair him with a bright, young offensive mind, and Schwartz could lead the Jaguars to a quick turnaround.

Dec 4, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels before their game against the Los Angeles Rams at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

1. Josh McDaniels, Offensive Coordinator — New England Patriots

There are a lot of head coaching candidates throughout the league to get excited about. Some have already been mentioned on this list and there are many more who did not make the cut. However, in my eyes, New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is the best of the bunch.

McDaniels will get dinged for his time as a head coach with the Denver Broncos. His 11-17 record and inability to control his team during his less than two years with the Broncos is not ideal, but McDaniels has seemed to learn from his mistakes. He was a young an inexperienced coach in Denver who was clearly in over his head. That being said, McDaniels has gotten his career back on track and is deserving of another opportunity.

There is not a single more productive and consistent offensive unit in the NFL than the Patriots. Tom Brady obviously deserves a ton of credit, but McDaniels is a sharp mind who is an important part of their success as well. McDaniels does a great job of putting Brady and company in a position to succeed, no matter the situation. The Patriots have dealt with a ton of adversity with injuries and suspensions on the offensive side of the ball, but McDaniels also finds a way to make it work.

He is an extremely smart and adaptive coach, who consistently puts his players in a situation to succeed. On top of that, he has learned from the best in the business in Bill Belichick for many years. Going from Brady to Bortles (or perhaps his replacement?) would be an interesting test for McDaniels. That being said, he is the guy who you want to be in charge of grooming your quarterback.

McDaniels as the head coach and Wash taking care of the defense would be a recipe for success for the Jacksonville Jaguars.