SHAD KHAN TO TAKE HANDS-ON APPROACH IN NEXT ERA OF JAGUARS FOOTBALL

David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire

The Jaguars' next GM and HC will report directly to Shad Khan. 

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

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After the Jaguars announced head coach Doug Marrone's firing on Monday morning, team owner Shad Khan met with the media to discuss the future of the franchise. He thanked the fans, the city of Jacksonville, and the media for all their efforts in 2020. While Khan touched on a great many subjects, one area of this presser stood out among the rest. 

Shad Khan will take a hands-on approach this time around.

What does that mean?

In past seasons, when Khan was more a green owner, he let other people guide his hand, to an extent. He relied on what he considered smart football people to help him find the direction of the franchise. From leaning on people around the league during his early years as the team owner to hiring Tom Coughlin to run the entire football operation in 2017, Khan hasn't been the lead decision-maker when it comes to his football team.

That's no longer the case. Final roster say will be in Khan's hands. Instead of having the head coach report to the general manager, or vice versa, both the HC and GM will report directly to Khan. That's how the power structure will work. Khan will be the key decision maker when it comes to who the next head coach and general manager will be, and he'll have final roster say for the immediate future. That means the team's failures and successes on the field will now be directly linked back to Khan. Shad took a step in this direction in 2020, having long conversations with Doug Marrone every week. Now, it's fully on Shad to turn the Jaguars into a winner. 

A few other notes:

While speculation about Urban Meyer becoming the Jaguars' next head coach has been running rampant, Khan denied speaking with Meyer about the coaching job and said that he has yet to talk to anyone regarding the position. Khan did mention he has a relationship with Meyer. 

The new GM/HC will need to be be able to handle the 21st century athlete, understand the modern game, and attract the right staff.

Khan suggested there is much more interest in the head coaching and general manager gigs this time around. He says they have a talented young roster, salary cap space, and will have a young franchise quarterback.

There's also no timetable on the hiring process, but Khan said ideally, the head coach and general manager would be hired in close proximity. 

On the assistant coaches currently under contract: the new head coach will have an opportunity to keep them on staff if they so desire. 

Follow Jordan on Twitter for all the latest Jaguars news and analysis. 

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