Jack Del Rio Fired: 5 Possible Replacements for Jaguars Coaching Vacancy

The Jacksonville Jaguars finally made the move that most of their fans—all three of them—have been asking them to make for the last year: Jack Del Rio was fired as head coach on Tuesday morning, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

The franchise is a disaster right now and there is no hope on the horizon.

On the field, they are one of the worst teams in the league with a 3-8 record and a terrible offense that has scored the fewest points in the NFL (138).

Off the field, they can't sell out games, they are the most irrelevant franchise in the league and there has been talk that they could move to Los Angeles at some point. 

But the firing of Del Rio gives them a chance to start over with a fresh voice that can actually evaluate and coach talent to make them competitive in the AFC South. 

So who should the Jaguars hire? Here are five names for them to keep in mind as they go through this process. 

Bear in mind that these are realistic replacements because the Jaguars do not like to make big splashes or pay a lot of money for a top-tier head coaching commodity.

Brian Schottenheimer, New York Jets Offensive Coordinator

NFL Coaching Pedigree

New York Jets O.C. (2006-Present)

San Diego Chargers QB Coach (2002-2005)

Washington Redskins QB Coach (2001)

New York fans love to hate on Schottenheimer, but he has to be doing something right because his name has been floated around for head coaching jobs for the last few years. 

The Jaguars need a strong offensive-minded coach to bring along Blaine Gabbert and actually devise a game plan each week that will generate positive yardage. 

Schottenheimer has the coaching resume and lineage to be a good coach if and when he decides to take the leap. 

Brian Billick, NFL on FOX Analyst

NFL Coaching Pedigree

Baltimore Ravens Head Coach (1999-2007)

Minnesota Vikings Offensive Coordinator (1994-1998)

Minnesota Vikings TE Coach (1992-1993)

Billick never got the credit he deserved with the Ravens. Obviously, the defense was the star of the show and nothing that any coach did was going to change that. 

But look back at some of those offenses that he had to coach, it is a testament to how good he was that they were able to have as much success as they did. 

Billick was an offensive genius when he was with the Vikings, so he clearly knows how to do some things right. 

Why not make him an offer to see what he can do with Blaine Gabbert, Maurice Jones-Drew and the rest of the offense in Jacksonville?

Jon Gruden, ESPN NFL Analyst

NFL Coaching Pedigree

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach (2002-2008)

Oakland Raiders Head Coach (1998-2001)

Philadelphia Eagles OC (1995-1997)

Green Bay Packers WR Coach (1993-1994)

Whenever a head coaching job becomes available, Gruden's name gets thrown around. I know he just signed that extension to stay on Monday Night Football, but if he wants an NFL job, he is going to take it. 

The only thing that would likely prevent Gruden from going to Jacksonville is that he wants to go to a situation where he is able to win immediately and on a consistent basis, two things that this franchise have never done. 

With all the talk about a possible move to Los Angeles in the future, Gruden could find this job a bit more appealing than he normally would. 

Steve Mariucci, NFL Network Analyst

NFL Coaching Pedigree

Detroit Lions Head Coach (2003-2005)

San Francisco 49ers Head Coach (1997-2002)

Green Bay Packers QB Coach (1992-1995)

Mariucci's name doesn't get talked about for head coaching jobs as much as it used to, perhaps that is by design because he likes what he is doing with the NFL Network. 

However, he does seem to fit the profile of what the Jaguars need and he would likely be cheaper than most of the coaches on this list because he has been out of the game for so long. 

Mariucci would have some adjustments to make after six seasons away, but he is not so egotistical that he can't change his ways. 

He has a good knowledge of how to run an offense and has a good history of success in the league. It's a win-win for Jacksonville. 

Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach

NFL Coaching Pedigree

Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach (1999-Present)

Green Bay Packers QB Coach/Assistant Head Coach (1997-1998)

Green Bay Packers OL Coach (1995-1996)

Green Bay Packers Assistant (1992-1994)

Reid is the great wild-card in this whole thing because it is unclear if he will be fired by the Eagles after the season. As things stand right now, I would be willing to bet that he is going to lose his job because it will be hard to justify bringing him back. 

After 13 seasons of constant criticism and headaches, Reid may want to take some time off if he is fired. But you could make an argument that coaching in Jacksonville is a vacation because if you fail there no one cares. 

Reid is a good coach and deserves better treatment than he has gotten from Eagles fans, but if he is let go, he could resurrect himself with an under-the-radar franchise.