Jacksonville Jaguars: Mike Mularkey Named Head Coach, Has Tough Task of Developing Blaine Gabbert

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Jaguars.com

By Robert Neely
Featured NFL Writer

The Jacksonville Jaguars became the first NFL team to look outside for a new head coach this offseason, by hiring Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey.

While not an old franchise, the Jaguars have been a model of stability in terms of coaching. Tom Coughlin coached the franchise for its first eight seasons, and Jack Del Rio was in his ninth season when he was fired with five games to go in 2011.

Mularkey becomes the franchise's third full-time head coach. It is his second head-coaching job; he went 9-7 and 5-11 in two seasons as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills in 2004 and 2005 before leaving the organization.

Mularkey is an offensive mind who has done good work as a coordinator with the Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers, and that is undoubtedly what the Jaguars saw in him. Jacksonville had the league's worst offense in terms of yardage created.

The Jaguars chose Mularkey, 50, over interim head coach Mel Tucker, who had been the team's defensive coordinator, and two offensive coordinators looking to move up - Rob Chudzinski of the Carolina Panthers and Brian Schottenheimer, formerly of the New York Jets.

Mularkey's biggest job will be to develop quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who had a disappointing rookie season. Gabbert completed just 50.8 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,214 yards with 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He went 4-10 as a starter and paled in comparison to other rookie quarterbacks like Cam Newton of Carolina and Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Along with Gabbert, Jacksonville's entire passing game was a mess, with only one above-average receiver - tight end Marcedes Lewis.

But the Jaguars have an elite running game thanks to running back Maurice Jones-Drew and an offensive line that general manager Gene Smith has spent multiple draft picks on in recent years.

Mularkey and Smith should work well together. The big reason Mularkey left Buffalo after the 2005 season was the departure of general manager Tom Donahoe, who had hired him.

Mularkey also has said he will hire an offensive coordinator to call plays. He is also interested in keeping Tucker as defensive coordinator, although he has other options which include a coordinator gig with the Minnesota Vikings.

While Mularkey has been a head coach before, he's not a typical retread hire. He showed potential in Buffalo before coming to loggerheads with the organization, and if he can get along with Smith in Jacksonville, he has the potential to be a franchise builder.

But for that to happen, Mularkey has to get Gabbert to develop or find another option quickly.


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