Mike Mularkey: Top 5 Reasons He Was the Right Choice for the Jaguars

Did Jacksonville make the right choice in hiring Mike Mularkey as their new head coach?

As the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons and the man who has helped Matt Ryan develop into a promising and rising NFL quarterback, you cannot help but think it was the right move made by team owner Shahid Khan, general manager Gene Smith and the Jaguars staff.

After a 5-11 record and a team in as much turmoil as any in the league all season, something positive needed to happen besides the rushing title Maurice Jones-Drew won with little help on offense.

Mularkey looked like the candidate all along who was the right fit, having been in play as a candidate for Jaguars head coach back in 2002 when Tom Coughlin was fired from the same position.

Although he was head coach in Buffalo after the Jaguars hired Jack Del Rio, you have to wonder how this team would have fared if Mularkey had been the team's choice instead of the defensive-minded Del Rio.

In any event, the Jaguars have their fourth head coach in the team's history and one who will be asked to finally bring the city an NFL championship.

Here are some reasons why this hire was the best for the team, the city and the NFL.

5. He Has Ties to This Team Already

Mularkey's son is part of the scouting team for the Jaguars.

Did that make it easier to hire the Atlanta offensive coordinator? Probably not, but it could not have hurt.

Mularkey is also a University of Florida graduate and is a Florida native.

Being someone from the area will resonate with the fanbase here.

4. He Had the Most Experience of Anyone on the List

If the five offensive coordinators on the "first" list of candidates, Mularkey was the one who stood out.

While young faces like Rob Chudzinski or Carolina and Brian Schottenheimer of the Jets were "hot" hires, they may not have the ability to handle the top job yet.

Mularkey comes with a game plan. He comes ready to start work. He comes ready to build Jacksonville into a winner.

3. He May Bring Free Agents with Him

The one to look at is Harry Douglas, who is the third or fourth option in the Falcons' passing attack.

With the Jaguars, he could be a second option.

While free agency could land a top-flight catcher on this team and the draft being in another set of hands, Douglas will be target of this team in the offseason.

2. He Knows This Team Well

The Jaguars and Falcons seem to find a way to play each other in the preseason or regular season each year.

And in some instances, they scrimmage together in spring training.

Look for Mularkey to use what he has learned from that to better the team.

Also, Mike Smith, the Falcons' head coach, was defensive coordinator here in Jacksonville before taking the head job with Atlanta.

1. Offense, Offense, Offense

Mularkey needs to use kid gloves with Gabbert, who looked gun shy most of the season.

That does not mean Gabbert gets a free pass.

This team needs Mularkey to mold Gabbert in the image of Matt Ryan or Ben Roethlisberger or whoever Mularkey can mold him into.

Having an offense in Atlanta that features great receivers in Roddy White and Julio Jones and a tight end in Tony Gonzalez puts Atlanta at an advantage.

You have to start somewhere.