Jaguars fire general manager Trent Baalke

This Jaguars coaching search saw two top candidates – Ben Johnson And Liam Coen – bow out. With Trent BaalkeThe presence of , rumored to have once again caused problems during a head coaching hunt, Shad Khan changed course.

Despite retaining the general manager to lead the research, Khan is firing Baalke, according to an announcement from the team. Baalke stayed five years in Jacksonville, transitioning to the role of general manager in his second offseason with the team. Even though he seemed to have survived after Doug Pedersonis fired, the veteran executive is absent.

(RELATED: Coen withdraws from second Jags HC interview)

“After several discussions with Trent Baalke this week, we have both come to the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interests to respectfully separate, effective immediately,” ” a statement from Khan read in part. “Trent leaves us with my deepest gratitude for his efforts over the past five seasons. Ethan Waugh will serve as interim general manager and play an important role, along with others, as we continue the process of interviewing candidates to become our new head coach.

Baalke’s job security was a topic of discussion during the campaign, one for which Khan had very high expectations. The Jags finished 4-13, however, creating the expectation that he would simply clean house ahead of the 2025 campaign. Pederson was fired on Black Monday, but many were surprised to see Baalke stay put. On the other hand, Bovada’s Josina Anderson and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini note that Khan was supposed to be willing to make a general manager change this late in the hiring cycle under the right circumstances.

Baalke was seen as a potential deterrent to top head coaching candidates, and the fact that Johnson and Coen both chose not to take the Duval County job is certainly an indication that held true. In any case, these two (with Mike Vrabel And Aaron Glenn) are off the market as the Jags prepare to take a different approach in their coaching search. Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and former head coach of the Jets Robert Saleh recently scheduled in-person interviews for the position.

Following Pederson’s firing, Khan offered another vote of confidence in Baalke. The 60-year-old had general manager experience before arriving in Jacksonville due to his time with the 49ers. Baalke served as San Francisco’s vice president of player personnel in 2010 before serving as general manager for six years. Notably, he won a power struggle with the head coach Jim Harbaugh during this period after the team’s run to Super Bowl XLVII. His Jags spell did not feature a repeat of this success.

In Baalke’s four years as general manager, the Jaguars managed just one playoff appearance and won fewer than five games twice. The fact that he was allowed to make long-term commitments to companies like Trevor Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen And Little walker suggested that there was still room for him to continue in his current position. Instead, Khan will move on to the new general manager; Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirms that a head coach will likely be in place before the front office is hired given the timing of this situation (video link). Rapoport adds that coaches whose teams are still playing could be on Jacksonville’s radar, meaning the HC’s decision may not be strictly down to Graham and Saleh.

Two of the NFL’s general manager vacancies have already been filled, with the Titans and Raiders bringing in new personnel to run their respective front offices. The Jets don’t have a new general manager at the moment, but it appears Lance Newmark is on track to land this job. The next Jaguars general manager will likely report directly to Khan, and the same will be true for the new head coach. Once this tandem is in place, it will be interesting to see what direction the franchise moves in since Lawrence’s presence will undoubtedly eliminate the option of a long-term rebuild.

Waugh spent time alongside Baalke in San Francisco, so it was no surprise when he was hired to serve as Jacksonville’s assistant general manager in 2022. Waugh (who has experience in player personnel) will now have a role with the Jaguars. ” search for a new general manager, something Khan will also be heavily involved in. An organization will be put in place in time for next season, but the means by which it is put in place will undoubtedly remain a point of scrutiny for franchise advance.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.