Why coughlin should be fired

Coughlin, who served as Jacksonville's first-ever head coach from , became an embattled figure within and outside the Jaguars organization in recent seasons. Despite leading the team to a record and the AFC Championship in , Coughlin's strict rule and micromanagement rubbed many the wrong way and directly led to the departures of Jalen Ramsey, Allen Robinson, and others. In a statement Wednesday, Khan said he had already decided to move on from Coughlin once the season was over, but he had changed his mind in recent days and decided to pull the trigger now.

My expectations, and those of our fans, for our final two games and the season are high. Game Day. SI TIX. Bouye and safety Barry Church , and they landed two starters running back Leonard Fournette and left tackle Cam Robinson and a late-season impact player receiver Dede Westbrook with three of their first four draft picks in The Jaguars led the league in rushing, quarterback Blake Bortles significantly cut down his turnovers and the defense was one of the league's best.

They went and won the AFC South the franchise's first division title since , hosted a playoff game for the first time since January and reached the AFC Championship Game. Two years later, however, the franchise has fallen apart, and Coughlin played a major role. Foles was injured in the season opener, then lasted only 10 quarters after he returned before getting benched for rookie Gardner Minshew.

Coughlin also took Fournette fourth overall in his first draft, over quarterback Deshaun Watson. While Fournette is having the best season of his career, Watson has become a franchise quarterback for the division-rival Houston Texans. Coughlin also drafted defensive tackle Taven Bryan in instead of quarterback Lamar Jackson. Bryan has been a disappointment, and the Ravens ' Jackson is the favorite to be the league's MVP this season.

The Jaguars' past two free-agent classes have been busts, too. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey , regarded as the best player the Jaguars have drafted since Tony Boselli, got so fed up with management and Coughlin that he asked for, and forced, a trade, ultimately landing with the Rams in October.

Coughlin held a news conference on Nov. The Jaguars have won only 10 games over the past two seasons, and only three have come against teams that finished the season with a winning record or currently have a winning record. This is the second time the Jaguars have fired Coughlin. He was the coach and GM from to , and though he drafted very good players early in his tenure Boselli, Fred Taylor , Kevin Hardy, Tony Brackens and a couple late Marcus Stroud and John Henderson , Coughlin's final two first-round picks , he had some busts, too, particularly receiver R.

Jay Soward, who played only one season before being suspended by the league for violating its substance abuse policy. Coughlin also hit on some gems in free agency offensive tackle Leon Searcy, receiver Keenan McCardell , defensive tackle Gary Walker and tight end Kyle Brady and signed the franchise's leading receiver Jimmy Smith after a tryout in February He was regarded as the biggest free-agent bust in team history -- until the past few seasons, anyway.

One of them was Boselli, the best player in franchise history and a Hall of Fame finalist in The Jaguars also exposed Walker, cut Hardy and had to let McCardell walk because they couldn't afford to re-sign him. Head coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell will retain their jobs for now, and Khan said he had high expectations for the final two games of this season and Marrone could be fired at the end of the season, and Caldwell could join him anyone who signed Blake Bortles to a contract extension has light job security.

The Jaguars rescinded the fine. Apparently that is business as usual in Jacksonville. On Wednesday, Jaguars cornerback A. Bouye told reporters he also had been fined for what he called a miscommunication. Smith never reported and took the season off. Ramsey, whom the Jags traded to the Rams for two first-round picks in October, sent a not-so-cryptic tweet after Coughlin was fired.

Coughlin has been notorious for fining players for the smallest infractions in the past 15 years. Coughlin was on the verge of being fired before the season with the Giants, but he softened his approach that year and the Giants went on to win two Super Bowls.

It was no public persona.