Jaguars hire ex-Redskins coach Jay Gruden as offensive coordinator

The Jaguars announced on Wednesday that Jay Gruden will join coach Doug Marrone’s staff as the offensive coordinator.

Gruden, who was the Washington Redskins head coach for six seasons before he was fired this past October after an 0-5 start, becomes the third offensive coordinator Marrone has hired since 2018.

Gruden, 52, replaces John DeFilippo, who took a job with the Chicago Bears as quarterbacks coach after the Jaguars parted ways with him on Jan. 13.

Gruden emerged as the front-runner after Marrone interviewed former Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan on Saturday and met with former New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo and former Arizona and Tennessee coach Ken Whisenhunt.

Gruden has plenty of work ahead installing his West Coast offensive system designed around quick-reads, play-action passing, end around plays and taking shots down the field.

The Jaguars struggled offensively under DeFilippo this season, ranking 20th in total offense (341.8 yards per game), 26th in scoring (18.6 average) and 31st in red zone scoring percentage for touchdowns (40.43).

Marrone and Gruden will have to make a determination on whether Gardner Minshew returns as the starting quarterback or Nick Foles.

Earlier this month, Marrone was not ready to name Minshew his starter for 2020, saying instead that he thinks that he has two that he knows right now.

Still, Minshew appears to be the frontrunner.

Gruden has a reputation of developing young quarterbacks, especially in Cincinnati where he helped Andy Dalton emerge.

Gruden began his NFL coaching career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an offensive assistant from 2002-08 under his old brother, Jon, now the head coach of the Raiders.

Following the Bucs, Gruden four seasons in the Arena Football League as head coach of the Orlando Predators. Gruden, a former quarterback at the University of Louisville, won four ArenaBowl titles as the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Storm.