Jacksonville Jaguars: Mike Mularkey Tabbed as New Head Coach

The Jacksonville Jaguars have themselves a new head coach.

Via Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union, here's the latest news:

Mike Mularkey's hiring has since been confirmed by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Jaguars have been on the lookout for a new head coach since they fired Jack Del Rio in late November. The team would go on to finish 5-11.

Mularkey has been coaching in the NFL since the mid-1990s, making a name for himself as the offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the early 2000s. He was hired to be the head coach of the Buffalo Bills in 2004, but resigned after the 2005 season.

Mularkey was hired as Atlanta's offensive coordinator in 2008. In his time with Atlanta, he developed Matt Ryan into one of the league's best quarterbacks, and he presided over one of the NFL's most balanced offenses in 2011.

The Jaguars are hoping Mularkey has the magic touch the franchise desperately needs. The Jags have an outstanding running back in Maurice Jones-Drew and the makings of a strong defense, but they simply don't have enough talent to compete in the AFC South. 

Going forward, the Jags are going to need to see some improvement from 2011 first-round pick Blaine Gabbert. Mularkey may be able to develop him in the same way he developed Matt Ryan, but he and the team's new ownership may have their own ideas as far as the direction of the franchise is concerned.

The Jaguars have made the playoffs just twice in the last 12 seasons, and they haven't won the division since 1999.