The Jacksonville Jaguars and Urban Meyer are in advanced talks to see if they can finalize a deal this week, league sources told Adam Schefter, ESPN.
After a further meeting with the Jaguars on Wednesday, Meyer is very interested in the possibility of coaching in the NFL, sources said.
There is regular communication and interaction between the two parties, sources said, and Meyer has put together a coaching team, including some assistants from the university ranks, in case he decides to accept the Jaguars position.
Meyer won three national championships and set a 187-32 coaching record in Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and the state of Ohio. He won two of those titles (2006, 2008) with the Gators, leading to a 65-15 record in six seasons. He also led the Buckeyes to the national title in 2014, setting an 83-9 record in seven seasons at Columbus.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired Doug Marrone on Jan. 4 after Jacksonville ended its worst season in franchise history (1-15). Marrone had a 25-44 record (including playoff games) in four seasons with the Jaguars.
The Jaguars set a franchise record of 492 points, becoming the fifth team since the NFL expanded in 1978 to a 16-game schedule to allow at least 20 points in each game, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Offensively, the Jaguars were 28th or worse in yards per game, chasing and shooting. They finished in 21st place in passing, which is largely a product of deterioration in games and should abandon the run.
Information about ESPN’s Michael DiRocco was used in this report.