Bill O'Brien Feb 25, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in need of a new head coach for next season. Given the way the Urban Meyer experience crashed and burned, you’d imagine that the franchise would want to start fresh with someone who doesn’t have a lot of baggage.

Apparently not if, as Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union is reporting, they have interest in Alabama offensive coordinator and former Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien.

O’Brien has some positive qualities that make him an attractive possibility, especially since the Texans went to the playoffs four times in his six seasons there. However, his time with Houston also ended when he had the ability to make his own personnel moves, ultimately losing a lot of authority with his players, something that the Jaguars just went through with Meyer. Even in the days leading up to his firing, O’Brien was still adamant about his authority and control.

O’Brien is one of the latest reclamation projects that Nick Saban took on as an assistant coach and it’s worked to varying success, given that Alabama is playing for the national title even though their offense was criticized at times during the season.

There are also a lot of concerns that the Jaguars are going to have to settle in their coaching search because owner Shad Khan refused to part ways with GM Trent Baalke. That’s a big part of the reason many of their fans are going to be protesting this weekend, dressing up as clowns.

The reaction to the news about O’Brien behind of interest for the Jaguars certainly caused a reaction around social media.

The Jaguars have a lot riding on their next head coach hiring. Whether it’s O’Brien or someone else, the expectations to get things right this time are going to be sky-high.

[Gene Frenette]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.