Cowboys Rumors: Kellen Moore to Interview for Jaguars Head Coaching Job on Friday
January 7, 2022
Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will interview for the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coaching vacancy Friday night, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.
The Jags' job became available last month when Jacksonville fired Urban Meyer just 11 months after hiring him with a 2-11 record through 13 games.
Moore, 33, played quarterback for the Detroit Lions from 2012 to 2014 and the Cowboys from 2015 to 2017. He became Dallas' quarterbacks coach in 2018 and got promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019.
Moore joins a list of candidates for the Jaguars' position that includes former Indianapolis Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.
John Reid of the Florida Times-Union reported Alabama offensive coordinator and former Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien is also set to interview.
In three seasons as the Cowboys OC, Moore has enjoyed a great deal of success.
Dallas ranked first in the NFL in total offense and sixth in scoring in 2019, and with one game left to play this season, the Cowboys are second in total offense and first in scoring.
The 2020 campaign was an outlier. Dallas was 14th in total offense and 17th in scoring as quarterback Dak Prescott missed much of the season because of injury.
Prescott has continued to develop into one of the NFL's top quarterbacks under Moore's leadership. He has bounced back from a broken right ankle to complete 68.4 percent of his passes for 4,154 yards, 32 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 games this season.
Moore's work with Prescott likely appeals to the Jaguars since they have a young, talented quarterback in need of guidance in Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence was the consensus top prospect in the 2021 NFL draft coming out of Clemson, and the Jaguars made him the No. 1 overall pick, but his rookie campaign has been rough.
Jacksonville is a league-worst 2-14, and Lawrence has completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns and an NFL-high 17 interceptions. He has also rushed for 317 yards and two scores.
Given how much the Jaguars have invested in Lawrence, hiring an offensive-minded head coach with a history of working well with quarterbacks would be a logical move.
Moore has no head coaching experience and would be the youngest head coach in the NFL, but given how much success the Los Angeles Rams have enjoyed since hiring Sean McVay at age 30 in 2017, precedent exists for such a hire to work out.