Atlanta Falcons offensive assistant staff Mike Mularkey new head coach of Jacksonville Jaguars – NFL
The Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to unveil their new head coach at a news conference, later on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, reported to be Atlanta Falcons’ offensive assistant coach, Mike Mularkey.
Reports emerging in some sections of the media on Tuesday, disclosed that the Jaguars are over with their search for a full-time coach by signing Falcons’ Mularkey for the role.
The reports were later confirmed by the Jaguars' management.
GM, Gene Smith, who has been heading the team's hunt for the new head coach, said that they will introduce Mularkey at a media conference on Wednesday.
Jaguars were without a head coach since firing their former coach, Del Rio, who was sacked by former owner, Wayne Weaver, back in November of 2011.
On the same note, the owner had sold the franchise to Shahid Khan, the Illinois-based Pakistan born business tycoon and philanthropist.
Mel Tucker has been performing the head coaching duties as an interim coach with the team since then. He was promoted from his defensive assistant coach position to take over the full coaching role.
Smith, who had been granted an extension in his contract by the former owner before his departure, has been interviewing prospective candidates since the club's takeover by Shahid Khan, locally known as Shad Khan, on January 4, 2012.
A deal worth $770 million was reached between the two parties on November 29, 2011. However, the new owner had to overcome few regulatory hurdles before claiming the franchise’s ownership.
The deal that was declared successful and closed on January 04, includes $660 million as the club’s price and $110 million in debt.
Some of the officials interviewed by the team included the offensive assistant coaches from the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals and others.
The side’s focus in hiring a new head coach was on the offensive department.
Mularkey's appointment confirms that Jaguars' management has given priority to the team's offense, while preparing themselves for the next season, and may be for many more to come.
Tucker has introduced a number of changes in the team's line-up and assistant staff since he took charge as interim coach.
For example, he cut the starting receiver, Jason Hill, re-signed quarterbacks' (QB) coach, Mike Sheppard, and sacked receivers' coach, Johnny Cox.
However, more reshuffling is expected after Jaguars' full-time coach assumes the charge.
The new owner, Shad Khan, has already backed the changes, saying he has been aiming at making Jaguars one of the best on the field as well as a role model off the field.
Jaguars’ QB, Blaine Gabbert, is most likely to be his focal point.
The team has been unable to get most of the rookie throughout the 2011 regular season.
The player’s performance has remained a source of criticism for the former coach.
Despite failing in a majority of starts that he made as QB in the 2011 season, the coach remained persistent with him, expressing confidence that he will come back at some point or another.
With their new head coach in charge, who has offensive coaching experience, the side will be hoping that Gabbert performs better.
It is pertinent to note here that Mularkey had been a head coach at Buffalo Bills. He had gone with a 14-18 record, but was fired in 2005.
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