Among a deep list of candidates for the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coaching job, it appears Bill O'Brien won't be rising to the top.
The Alabama offensive coordinator is unlikely to be the team's choice, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. The Jaguars must replace Urban Meyer, who was fired midseason during his failed first year as an NFL coach.
O'Brien interviewed for the job earlier this month, and was among a lengthy list of candidates the club sought to interview, including Cowboys coordinators Kellen Moore and Dan Quinn, Buccaneers coordinators Byron Leftwich and Todd Bowles, Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, and former NFL head coaches Doug Pederson and Jim Caldwell. The team also planned to interview interim coach Darrell Bevell.
Garafolo, speaking on NFL Now, said he was "not getting that vibe" from his sources that O'Brien would be the team's choice despite the presumption that he is a favored candidate for Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke. Per Garafolo, the Jaguars have completed their first round of interviews and are entering the second phase of their search with follow-up interviews. The Jaguars finished the season 3-14, and now hold the No. 1 pick of the NFL draft for the second consecutive year.
O'Brien coached the Houston Texans for six-plus seasons before being fired after an 0-4 start in 2020. With a 52-48 record in Houston, O'Brien won the AFC South four times, but his teams struggled in the postseason.
He became Alabama's offensive coordinator last year, and the Crimson Tide averaged 488 yards per game with a first-year starter at quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy in Bryce Young. Alabama finished the season 13-2 with a CFP championship game loss to Georgia, after which O'Brien interviewed with the Jaguars.
