Head coach Gus Bradley will be returning to the Jacksonville Jaguars next season, but he will need to find a new defensive coordinator first.
The Jaguars fired defensive coordinator Bob Babich on Tuesday after three lackluster seasons with the team.
Given the poor play by the defense, especially during the latter part of the season, the move to fire Babich should not come as much of a surprise. The Jaguars’ defense ranked 31st in the NFL in points allowed per game. They were also second worst in third down defense (46 percent) and sixth worst in total takeaways (18).
The lack of pass rush was a major reason behind Babich’s downfall. After finishing with 45 sacks in 2014, the Jaguars registered 36 in 2015. Their pass-rushing ends Andre Branch and Chris Clemons combined for just seven sacks on the season.
Injuries could also have played a major role in Babich’s demise. First-round pick Dante Fowler Jr. missed the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks, arguably the team’s best defensive player, missed all but four games with knee and triceps injuries.
Prior to joining the Jaguars in 2013, Babich served as the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears under Lovie Smith. He was the head coach at North Dakota State from 1997 to 2002 where Bradley worked under him as an assistant.
The Jaguars could have a difficult time finding a replacement for Babich. With Bradley entering the final year of his contract, candidates could be hesitant to sign on with a lame duck coach.
They could decide to promote an in-house candidate, such as defensive line coach Todd Wash, or Bradley could take over the play calling duties himself. If the Jaguars were to look at outside options, former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz would be the most intriguing option.
