Jaguars fire Urban Meyer amid mounting controversy, 2-11 record
The Jacksonville Jaguars fired head coach Urban Meyer with four games remaining in his first season on the job, owner Shad Khan announced Wednesday night.
The move comes just days after a report detailed major tension under the watch of the college football legend, and hours after former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo said Meyer kicked him during a practice in August.
"After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban's tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone," Khan said in a statement. "I informed Urban of the change this evening. As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen."
In the NFL Network report on Meyer, sources recounted a heated argument between the head coach and veteran wide receiver Marvin Jones, said Meyer suggested to his assistants during a staff meeting that they're losers while he's a winner, and asserted that he'd ordered the unusual benching of standout running back James Robinson.
Lambo's revelation brought further controversy to Meyer's already rocky tenure, with the veteran detailing the alleged kicking incident and Meyer's behavior thereafter in an interview with Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times.
"(The kick) certainly wasn't as hard as he could've done it, but it certainly wasn't a love tap," Lambo said. "Truthfully, I'd register it as a five (out of 10). Which in the workplace, I don't care if it’s football or not, the boss can't strike an employee. And for a second, I couldn't believe it actually happened.
"Pardon my vulgarity, I said, 'Don't you ever f------ kick me again!' And his response was, 'I'm the head ball coach, I'll kick you whenever the f--- I want.'"
The 57-year-old Meyer also apologized to the Jaguars in October after he didn't fly back home with the team following a loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati and then a viral video showed him sitting at an Ohio bar/restaurant while a woman who is not his wife danced in his lap.
"I apologized again for being a distraction," Meyer said of his talk with the team's leaders. "The coach should not be a distraction."
Meyer, who signed a five-year deal with Jacksonville last offseason, makes a quick NFL exit after posting a 2-11 record. The Jaguars are tied for last in the AFC South with a month left in the 2021 campaign, fielding an offense that ranks 30th in total yards and 31st in points scored.
One of the most decorated coaches in college football history, Meyer first made a name for himself at Bowling Green and Utah before going on to win two national championships at Florida and one at Ohio State. Extended runs of dominance at the latter two schools in particular helped him post a 187-32 record across 17 seasons as a head coach at the NCAA level.
The Jaguars' lead job marked his first NFL experience in any capacity.
Khan revealed in his announcement that offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will take over as the interim head coach for the remainder of the year.
"Trent Baalke continues as our general manager and will work with Darrell to ensure that our team will be inspired and competitive while representing Jacksonville proudly over our final four games of the season," Khan said. "In the spirit of closure and recharging our players, staff, and fan base, I will not comment further until some point following the conclusion of the NFL season."