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The Jacksonville Jaguars announced late Thursday night that they had hired Doug Pederson to be their next head coach. The former Philadelphia Eagles head coach was one of the first to interview for the Jaguars job and will now be tasked with the responsibility of rebuilding a franchise rattled by issues last season.
On Friday morning, NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter was on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" and expressed his disappointment in the fact that the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't hire an African American head coach.
Carter had the following to say about Pederson being hired as head coach:
“I think Doug Peterson is a quality coach. I think he deserves to be a head coach in the NFL. But for me, given the climate that we're in right now, it's hard for me to have any positive energy towards any franchise that would not look at African Americans, or pass over an African Americans to be able to go to another candidate. Byron Leftwich, he was a perfect fit there. What other offensive coordinator could be the offensive coordinator for Tom Brady, straight off New England 20 years, take them to the Superbowl, and then come back and Tom Brady has another year? So for me, I do have a problem with this.” -Cris Carter on GMFB
Carter's sentiments are similar to many shared amongst the National Football League. Why aren't there more minority head coaches being hired, especially when there were eight open positions to begin this offseason?
Why did the Jaguars hire Doug Pederson over Byron Leftwich?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the seventh overall selection in 2003. His time with the Jaguars and his overall production as offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers made him a top candidate for the job.
Leftwich interviewed with Jacksonville twice and it seemed that he was the likely hire. So why did the Jacksonville Jaguars hire Doug Pederson instead?
During the negotiating and interviewing process, Leftwich apparently expressed his concern over current Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke. Leftwich wanted to bring in his own general manager instead.
The Jacksonville Jaguars weren't willing to budge on firing Baalke or hiring a new one, even though his decision-making has been questioned throughout his tenure. Earlier this week, it was reported that Byron Leftwich asked the Jacksonville Jaguars to take his name out of consideration for the job.
Leftwich then informed the Buccaneers that he would likely return as offensive coordinator next season. He could still be considered for the New Orleans Saints head coaching job as well.
While Doug Pederson is a Super Bowl-winning head coach who could work well with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars' inability to part ways with a controversial general manager could stand in the way of their success in the future.
