Urban Meyer out as Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coach after rocky first year
- Meyer kicking a player in the leg during practice was the final straw for Jacksonville owner Shad Khan
- Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season
Urban Meyer’s tumultuous NFL tenure ended after just 13 games – and two victories – when the Jacksonville Jaguars fired him early Thursday because of an accumulation of missteps.
Owner Shad Khan made the move hours after former Jaguars player Josh Lambo told a Florida newspaper Meyer kicked him during practice in August. It was the latest black eye – adding to an already lengthy list of embarrassments – for the three-time national championship-winning college coach who failed miserably to make the transition to the NFL.
Meyer joins former Atlanta Falcons coach Bobby Petrino as college coaches whose NFL careers flamed out in stunningly swift fashion. Petrino resigned in December 2007 to take over at Arkansas. He was 3-10 at the time.
Meyer went 2-11 in his partial season, and the Jaguars really started to unravel on the offensive side of the ball following the team’s bye week. They averaged a measly 9.1 points in Meyer’s final seven games, which ended with a five-game skid.
Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will serve as Jacksonville’s interim head coach for the final four games, beginning Sunday against Houston (2-11).