Gus Bradley Reportedly Hired as Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach

The Jacksonville Jaguars have hired Gus Bradley as their new head coach. This comes shortly after Bradley's Seattle Seahawks were eliminated from the NFL playoffs.

UPDATE: Thursday, Jan. 17, at 10:50 a.m. ET by Brandon Galvin

The Jacksonville Jaguars confirmed Gus Bradley's hiring this morning:

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Gus Bradley named fifth head coach in Jaguars history today.

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@jaguars) January 17, 2013"

The Associated Press' Mark Long went on to detail Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell's as well as Bradley's comments on the big news:

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Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell on hiring Gus Bradley: 'It was just a matter of time before Gus Bradley became a head coach in the NFL, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are extremely fortunate that Gus will be on our sidelines for many years to come. Gus more than met every criteria we insisted on from our new head coach, and his intangibles and leadership abilities are exceptional. Gus is who the Jaguars need now and in the future.'

New Jaguars HC Gus Bradley: 'Shad Khan and Dave Caldwell expect to win, and that's what I wanted to hear. That's why I am coming to Jacksonville -- to win a Super Bowl. I can't wait to meet everyone in Jacksonville on Friday and get this going.'

"

---End of Update---

ESPN's Adam Schefter has the latest:

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Filed to ESPN: Former Seahawks DC Gus Bradley has accepted the head coaching job with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 17, 2013"

Bradley, who broke into the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006, has been the defensive coordinator of the Seahawks since 2009.

Under his guidance, the Seahawks have ranked in the top 10 in points allowed per game the past two seasons. That includes holding opponents to 15.3 points per contest this season, the lowest mark in the NFL. They made it to the playoffs this season with an 11-5 record before falling to the Atlanta Falcons in the divisional round.

The Jaguars, of course, recently fired Mike Mularkey, who had been the team's head coach for just one season. It came on the back of an awful 2-14 season, so the move didn't come as a shock to many.

There was debate whether Jacksonville should hire a defensive- or offensive-minded coach before the eventual hire of Bradley. The Jaguars have a solid defensive core with plenty of talented players, but the focus has been on Blaine Gabbert and whether he is truly the team's franchise quarterback. That's a conversation we'll hear plenty heading into the offseason now that Bradley is taking over.

Ultimately, Jacksonville decided to go with a defensive-minded coach, and it's going to be interesting to see if the team progresses on both sides of the ball moving forward. One thing we can expect, given Bradley's success with the Seahawks, is for the Jaguars defense to be a force in the AFC South rather immediately.

This will be Bradley's first test as an NFL head coach. The Jaguars haven't been a dominant team for years, but this is a great move for the franchise, and the fanbase should be excited.