JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--Listed below is a well formulated argument by my esteemed colleague Brent Martineau on why he thinks Rob Chudzinski will be the next head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Brent makes a lot of strong points to back up his reasoning.
I have never met "Chud", but I do know Mel Tucker. I like every reason Brent made for his argument but I think one thing trumps his stance. Chudzinski has never been a head coach in the NFL. Tucker has five games under his belt and despite a (2-3) record in those games, the Jags won the games they were supposed to win and lost the games in which they were big underdogs.
My reasoning is this, Chudzinski has experience on the offensive side of the ball, but as the head coach he will not be the offensive coordinator. I think it makes sense to hire someone like him to replace Dirk Koetter. So why not elevate Tucker to head coach and replace him with a defensive coordinator he can work with to keep the continuity on defense. Chudzinski and Tucker worked well together in Cleveland. Does it make sense to bring in a guy who had the same coordinator experience and put him over Tucker who knows the team?
Tucker's self described style is "servant leader". The players respect him and he has a great relationship with Gene Smith. I know Jags fans and Mr. Khan want to make a big splash to sell tickets with a big name hire. Jeff Fisher probably wants total control, Tom Coughlin has a job with the Giants in the playoffs. Mike Mularkey has experience and has worked closely with Mike Smith in Atlanta. Smith is still well thought of here in Jacksonville where he was the defensive coordinator. His son Patrick works in the Jags scouting department. In this year of transition I think the best chance for success is better players and a guy who knows the drill here in Jacksonville. Is Bill Cowher still looking for a house in Ponte Vedra? Who do you like? Leave comment and we will kick it around.
