The Jacksonville Jaguars have chosen Gus Bradley as their next head coach.
Fox Sports insider and NFL Network contributor Jay Glazer reported that Bradley, the Seattle Seahawks' defensive coordinator, was hammering out a contract with the Jaguars. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport later confirmed that Bradley and the Jaguars were putting the finishing touches on a deal to make him the organization's fourth head coach since 1995, according to a source briefed on the negotiations.
The Jaguars later announced the deal was done. ESPN first reported the hire, which is an intriguing one by Jacksonville.
Bradley spent the past four seasons running Seattle's defense and directed an aggressive unit that allowed just 15.3 points per game in 2012, tops in the NFL. The Seahawks did a strong job pressuring the quarterback and disrupting game plans all season, something we haven't seen much of from the Jaguars of late. Jacksonville finished 29th in the league in points allowed, giving up 27.8 points per game.
Bradley previously worked under Monte Kiffin with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In Seattle, Bradley favored a hybrid 4-3/3-4 scheme that switched fluidly from a conventional four-man front to an overloaded 3-4 alignment. Bottom line: The Seahawks were fun to watch on defense.
The hiring is something a surprise because multiple reports suggested the Jaguars were intent on chasing after San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman. With the 49ers still alive in the NFC playoffs, Roman has been off the grid, and the Jaguars made a move.
The Philadelphia Eagles showed interest in Bradley this week, but they pulled Oregon's Chip Kelly out of the wilderness Wednesday to become their next head coach. Teams looking for coaches have swayed heavily in favor of innovative, offensive-minded types like Kelly. The Jaguars -- under Caldwell -- have gone the other way.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
