Doug Marrone and Dave Caldwell aren't done in Jacksonville yet.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan announced Tuesday morning that he is retaining both the head coach and general manager despite a disappointing 6-10 season in 2019.
"I have met on several occasions over the past few days with Dave Caldwell, Doug Marrone and their staffs to fully understand their plans to reverse our course and compete for a postseason berth in 2020," Khan said in a statement. "In addition, I held numerous one-on-one meetings with players on Monday and thoroughly appreciated their candor and thoughtful views -- some expected, some not -- on the season behind us and where we go from here."
Khan noted that the 2019 campaign was "unacceptable," including a second-half "collapse" that saw the Jags get blown out of the water in five straight games.
Despite the struggles, Khan deemed it best to stay the course with a staff that was a play away from the Super Bowl two seasons ago.
"We came out of our AFC Championship Game season of 2017 by making a four-year commitment to the collective leadership of our football operations," Khan said. "Only two seasons have passed and one change from that leadership team has already been made. I want to see what we produce under a new organizational structure in 2020. Goals have been established. Accountability will be paramount."
The vote of confidence for the coach and GM comes less than two weeks after Jacksonville fired executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin, who helped hire Marrone in 2017.
Khan noted that Coughlin's EVP position will not be filled in 2020, and the GM and coach will report directly to the owner.
In his three seasons as Jaguars coach, Marrone has led Jacksonville to a 21-27 record, including a 10-6 mark in 2017, when the Jags rode the defense to an AFC South title and an AFC Championship Game appearance. Marrone earned an extension through 2021 following the stellar season, but since Jacksonville fell in Foxborough that January, the Jags have finished in the AFC South cellar in back-to-back seasons.
Caldwell has been the Jags GM for the past seven seasons, during which Jacksonville has a single playoff appearance. Caldwell has drafted four Pro Bowlers since 2013, per NFL Research. The only remaining player from that group that suited up for Jacksonville in Week 17, Yannick Ngakoue, is in the final year of his contract.
One of the biggest potential beneficiaries of the Jags retaining their structure is quarterback Gardner Minshew, who shined in his rookie season despite the difficult circumstances. Keeping Marrone and Caldwell in place should give Minshew a chance to grow without new leaders who might want to go in a different direction.
In a season where more teams than usual are staying the course after disappointing campaigns, the Jags believe continuity will lead to a quick turnaround in 2020.
