Why Mike Mularkey Head Coach Hire Is Great News for Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert

The Jacksonville Jaguars have found someone to fill their head coaching vacancy, choosing Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, the organization confirmed on Wednesday.

Mularkey, who had been with the Falcons since 2008, is credited for making quarterback Matt Ryan into one of the better passers in the league.

Considering that the main criteria the Jaguars desired in their new head coach was belief that their own quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, could be the long-term starter, Mularkey's work with Ryan was likely a major selling point for the team.

Gabbert was the league's worst quarterback in the 2011 season, completing just 50.8 percent of his passes, for 2,214 yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He lost five fumbles and was sacked an astounding 40 times in 15 games.

Gabbert's performance likely scared off a number of coaching candidates, with the organization committed to Gabbert and only agreeing to hire a coach who agreed this was the right direction for the team.

Just knowing that Mularkey believes he's worthy of a starting quarterback job should help Gabbert right off the bat. But there's more than just his confidence that needs work.

Gabbert wasn't supposed to start for the Jaguars this year, but after then-head coach Jack Del Rio canned veteran David Garrard just days before the regular season and Luke McCown had a terrible season-opening game, the team opted to go with their 2011 first-round draft pick for the remainder of the year.

While that excuses some of his shortcomings, it doesn't explain away just why he was so woefully underprepared for seemingly every game the Jaguars played this year.

Without running back Maurice Jones-Drew, it's likely that Jacksonville could have ended the year winless, considering how little Gabbert contributed to the team in a positive way.

Mularkey will have to do more than just personally develop Gabbert; the team lacks a lot of other components that have assisted in his poor rookie showing.

Gabbert's apparent skittishness in the pocket isn't something he just manifested out of nowhere—the Jaguars desperately need improvements to their offensive line if he's going to have time to make throws. Forty sacks cannot be solely blamed on a green quarterback holding onto the ball too long. It also means he's not getting the protection he needs.

Further, Gabbert doesn't have a talented enough receiving corps to throw to. Aside from the occasional short throw to Jones-Drew, Gabbert's best weapon in 2011 was tight end Marcedes Lewis, not his receivers.

Surrounding Gabbert with greater talent should help him immeasurably, and Mularkey certainly knows what a top receiver looks like, having worked with the likes of Roddy White and Julio Jones in his time with the Falcons.

Bottom line is that Gabbert was named the starter by a coach who is no longer with the Jaguars and had to jump right into the professional game with little preparation, thanks to the lockout.

Gabbert is likely a much better quarterback than he seemed in 2011. Mularkey has had a great deal of success in revamping the Falcons offense in his four seasons with the team and was brought on in Jacksonville because of that success, and because he believes he can repeat it even with Gabbert under center.

With Mularkey as head coach, the Jaguars are about to undergo a serious rebuilding process, especially on offense. Just knowing that he's the centerpiece of this effort bodes well for Gabbert's chances to improve in 2012.