The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to fire their head coach, Doug Marrone, according to a report from ESPN's Dianna Russini.
Marrone will reportedly be let go following the Jaguars' final game of the year on Sunday versus the Indianapolis Colts, and the move comes in the wake of the team parting ways with Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin earlier this month.
So, tack on the Jaguars as a team on the hunt for a new head coach this offseason.
On Saturday, NFL insider Benjamin Allbright reported there could be a link between Jacksonville and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh:
Keep an eye on Robert Saleh for the Jax job.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) December 28, 2019
There have been swirls around the league Saleh would be a head coaching candidate this upcoming offseason, largely stemming from the Niners' defensive success over the year. Saleh, despite two relatively lackluster defensive seasons in San Francisco between 2017 and 2018, has seen a massive turnaround in 2019. The 49ers boast the eighth best scoring defense, while the pass defense ranks No. 1 in the league entering Week 17.
Saleh, meanwhile, has ties to Jacksonville. In 2014, he came along with then-Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley to join the Jaguars coaching staff as a linebackers coach -- a post he held until Bradley was fired in 2016.
The 49ers can block any lateral movements for the same position, although teams are not permitted to prevent coaches from interviewing for higher-up positions. So, in theory, the only way the Niners would be able to prevent Saleh from potentially interviewing for the Jaguars opening would be to offer him a significant raise as coordinator.
Even so, Saleh could likely be inclined to at least explore the option. NFL head coaching ranks are part of an elite fraternity.
This story isn't likely to go away anytime soon, so keep an eye on further developments and reports. Meanwhile, Saleh and the 49ers will be focused on their Week 17 matchup on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
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Written by:Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
