Many Jacksonville Jaguars fans aren’t too fond of general manager Trent Baalke or think much of his time with the San Francisco 49ers. They’re not going to be too thrilled to hear that he’s hiring one of his former co-workers now.
The Jaguars announced Wednesday that they have hired former San Francisco vice president of player personnel Ethan Waugh to be their new assistant general manager.
Waugh and Baalke worked together in San Francisco for 12 seasons when Baalke became the 49ers’ VP of player personnel in 2010 and ascended to GM from 2011 to 2016.
“We are excited to add Ethan to our organization,” Baalke said in a statement. “Strengthening the personnel department was a priority this offseason and we are thrilled to make this addition to the team. I enjoyed working alongside Ethan in San Francisco for over a decade, and I know he will work tirelessly to help build a winning organization here in Jacksonville.”
Waugh’s main focus with San Francisco was on overseeing college scouting.
There had been buzz earlier in the year that owner Shad Khan was considering hiring an executive vice president of football operations, though that plan was scrapped when Doug Pederson came on as head coach. That led to a shift in direction to hire an assistant GM instead.
While Urban Meyer was the focus of Jaguars fans’ ire during most of last season until he was fired, they were shocked to learn that Baalke would not only keep his job but also have a hand in picking Meyer’s successor. So offended by his continued employment, Jacksonville fans dressed up as clowns in protest of Baalke during the season-ending game.
Cooler heads have since prevailed, but if the franchise finds itself at the top of the NFL Draft once again after this season, it’s hard to imagine anyone will still be thrilled to see Baalke in the organization, regardless of who else is working with him.
[NFL.com]
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor 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.