JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After firing head coach Gus Bradley following a 21-20 loss at Houston on Sunday, general manager Dave Caldwell said Monday that Bradley would have been fired even if the team had won that game.
Caldwell admitted during a Monday afternoon news conference introducing interim head coach Doug Marrone that he and owner Shad Khan had 'regrettably' come to the decision before Sunday's game that Bradley needed to go so that the Jaguars could start the process of looking for a new leader.
That decision was prompted by the L.A. Rams' firing of Jeff Fisher last week. Caldwell said Monday that the Jaguars didn't want to miss a chance to interview some of their top candidates with multiple head coaching positions opening up.
He said they'll begin the process of interviewing possible replacements soon, and that Marrone would be considered as a candidate for the permanent job.
One of the hottest names tied to the Jaguars even before Bradley's firing was former Jags coach Tom Coughlin. Caldwell confirmed Monday that Coughlin would be someone the team would be interested in speaking with for either the head coach or a front office position with the organization.
“We want a guy that can bring a winning culture to this team. We need someone that can develop our young players, obviously,” Caldwell said.
In a news conference Monday at the Sawgrass Marriott, Bradley said it was tough to hear the news of his firing, which Caldwell broke to him in his locker room after the Jaguars (2-12) blew a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter Sunday. Bradley said it's the first time he's been fired in his coaching career.
“Once we made that decision, I could not lie to him. I respect him too much. Now that we’re going to start a process of finding a new head coach, it wasn’t fair to him or his family to have him here in the building,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell told the media Monday that he gave Bradley the choice of when to announce the coaching change.
Bradley said he wanted to tell his family first, but after that the team could move forward with the announcement, which was made before the team boarded its charter flight home.
UNCUT: Gus Bradley speaks Monday after firing | Doug Marrone speaks to media |
Dave Caldwell explains decision to fire Bradley
Bradley said his phone died Sunday night when he was talking to his wife, Michaela, after he got the news.
"It's real to the kids when they see dad's name on TV," Bradley said, adding that his family has enjoyed its time in Jacksonville.
"This city has been unbelievable. We've had great, great memories here," he said. "I can't say enough about the city itself."
Bradley also said Monday that he's not bitter and has a lot of respect for team owner Shad Khan. Bradley's firing ended one of the least successful coaching tenures in NFL history.
"Words can't describe how much I love and respect Shad Khan. What a great person,” Bradley said. "I thought (general manager) Dave (Caldwell) and the Khan family handled it very well. I try not to be bitter, a bitter person. When we had the conversation, it was more reflection, where this team is going, how can we make it better."
Bradley went 14-48 in four seasons in Jacksonville, the worst winning percentage (.225) of any NFL coach with at least 60 games.
"The record, what took place, I take full responsibility for it. I have no excuses. I have no misgivings. There's nothing I look back at and say, would have, could have," Bradley said. "I understand the NFL is a business and is results oriented. We didn't get it done."
He said his one regret is that he won't be around to see the Jaguars win consistently.
"I'd just like to be here with this team when it's successful," Bradley said. "The regret I have is not seeing these players (win). When you go through something that's hard and then you come through it and you have success and you say, 'That's why we do it. Look at where it took you."
UNCUT: Coach Bradley speaks after loss to Texans, before his firing |
MORE: Complete coverage of Bradley's firing
Bradley said that moving forward he would be willing to coach anywhere.
“The big time is where you're at,” Bradley said. "You have to have humility. You look back at your decisions and decide if they were right or not. But you make a decision, give it your all."
The Jaguars were supposed to be considerably improved this season, time for Bradley's always-positive approach to pay off with a much-improved roster. Khan spent big in free agency for the second straight year and felt he had all the pieces in place for a playoff push. Even before the free-agent frenzy, Khan said a winning record was "everybody's reasonable expectation at this point."
Instead, the Jaguars have lost nine in a row. It's the longest, single-season losing streak in franchise history.
"I don't know, really, for anybody in this locker room how much more frustrated you can be," quarterback Blake Bortles said. "Once again we had all the opportunities in the world, chances in the fourth quarter to score, and we just don't do it."
IMAGES: Jaguars head coaches through the years |
VIDEO: Staff arrives at EverBank Field | VIDEO: Gus Bradley arrives home after firing
"I thanked Gus Bradley today for his commitment to the Jacksonville Jaguars over the past four seasons," Khan said in a statement. "As anyone close to our team knows, Gus gave his staff and players literally everything he had. Our players competed for Gus and I know they have great respect for him, as do I.
"Gus also represented the Jaguars, the Jacksonville community and the NFL in nothing less than a first-class manner as our head coach. That counts for a lot. It is unfortunately evident that we must make a change. I thought it would be best to do it immediately after today's result so Gus can step away, relax and regroup with his family during the Christmas and holiday season."
Khan added that he and Caldwell will "be charged with exploring all options to hire the best head coach possible to lead what I feel is an extremely talented team and reward a very loyal and patient fan base in Jacksonville."
A former Seattle defensive coordinator who had no head coaching experience when Khan hired him in 2013, Bradley spent his first two years in rebuilding mode. Bradley and Caldwell overhauled a talent-starved roster, revamping it through the draft and then supplementing it in free agency. The Jaguars spent more than $350 million (nearly $150 million guaranteed) the last two years in free agency, bringing in an influx of starters who were supposed to make a difference.
Instead, the Jaguars showed little improvement, at least in the win-loss column.
Bortles was mostly a mess, his sloppy mechanics causing inaccuracy every week. It didn't help that receivers dropped passes, tight end Julius Thomas was unreliable and the offensive line was far from stout.
"This season really stings and hopefully it gets Blake and the players fully motivated to change things," Bradley said.
Jacksonville made a huge jump defensively, becoming a top-10 unit thanks partly to the addition of defensive tackle Malik Jackson, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and rookie cornerback Jalen Ramsey. But the defense lacked a consistent pass rush and failed to create turnovers. Couple those shortcomings with Bortles' penchant for interceptions and fumbles, and it's no surprise the Jaguars ranked last in the NFL in turnover margin.
Bradley kept his team playing hard down the stretch, even after it secured a sixth consecutive losing season. The Jaguars became the fifth team in NFL history to post double-digit losses six straight years, joining Tampa Bay (1983-94), Detroit (2001-06), Oakland (2003-09) and Cleveland (2008-13).
Although Bradley will be remembered for his indefensible record, slow starts in each of his four years and an inability to win at home were major stumbling blocks.
Jacksonville went 5-25 in September and October under Bradley, digging huge holes and essentially falling out of playoff contention before Thanksgiving. And the Jags failed to find success at home, going 7-20 at EverBank Field. They are 0-6 there this season.
Jacksonville's home finale is Saturday against Tennessee (8-6). Although the Jaguars technically won a home game in London in October, they have never gone winless in Jacksonville in a season.