Report: Urban Meyer, Ryan Day Candidates to Replace Doug Marrone as Jaguars HC

The Jacksonville Jaguars are preparing to move on from head coach Doug Marrone and are expected to target Urban Meyer and Ryan Day as his replacement, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

Meyer, who retired from coaching in 2018, is seen as the team's top target, with Day, his successor at Ohio State, likely next on the short list. 

The Jacksonville job figures to draw some notable attention if the team does end up parting ways with Marrone. The franchise owns the No. 1 draft pick this spring, features a talented receiving corps in Chris Conley, Laviska Shenault Jr. and DJ Chark Jr., and boasts a defense being rebuilt around 2020 first-rounder K'Lavon Chaisson at linebacker. 

That makes Marrone expendable after a four-plus-year stint with a 23-42 record. 

Day's stock surged Saturday after he led No. 3 Ohio State to an improbable 49-28 rout over No. 2 Clemson. While his focus now turns to a championship matchup against No. 1 Alabama next Monday, NFL executives are beginning to hone in on him as a potential fit. He would be the second high-profile college coach to make the leap from the NCAA to the NFL in as many offseasons after Baylor's Matt Rhule was named Carolina Panthers head coach last winter. 

In two seasons leading the Buckeyes, Day is 23-1 with two first-place finishes in the Big Ten East. That's made only more impressive by the fact he had to follow Meyer, who led Ohio State to the 2014 national championship and went 83-9 over seven years. 

According to Rapoport, Meyer has been intrigued by NFL jobs in the past but has yet to make the leap to the pros. At 56 years old, and with previous health issues spurring his retirement, it's unclear how much interest he has in returning to the sidelines. 

There's no shortage of jobs available should Meyer want back in the game. If not, Day might be next in line.