Gene Frenette: Loyalty of Jaguars coach Doug Pederson to OC Press Taylor not uncommon
Jaguars fans who are miffed that head coach Doug Pederson spared offensive coordinator Press Taylor while firing defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell should remember those are two different relationships and different sides of the ball.
Caldwell doesn’t have the same long-standing connection to Pederson as Taylor, who has been a protege of his boss since their five years together with the Philadelphia Eagles. Pederson refused to dismiss Taylor after the 2020 season and he ended up getting fired by owner Jeffrey Lurie, in part, for refusing to comply.
While Pederson remains protective of Taylor, the Jaguars’ second-year coach is also a huge part of the offense, so he holds himself accountable as well for that unit’s shortcomings. Pederson gave a longer leash to those assistants except for running backs coach Bernie Parmalee, who also got fired.
Another factor is Pederson was a little more forgiving of the diminished offensive production due to injuries on the left side of the offensive line. That also played into keeping O-line coach Phil Rauscher, though the Jaguars didn’t renew the expiring contract of assistant O-line coach Todd Washington.
Fans are entitled to vent about Taylor, but the facts are relationships matter when it comes to NFL job security. Former Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley (2013-16) stuck with defensive coordinator Bob Babich, who was Bradley’s boss when he served as head coach at North Dakota State, for three dreadful seasons before firing him and elevating defensive line coach Todd Wash to the DC job.
NFL head coaches, as is the case in the college ranks and in the real world, are going to be a little more loyal to staff members with whom they have long-standing ties. That’s not just a football thing, it’s an every-profession thing.
Yes, Taylor has a longer leash than Caldwell, but it’d be naive to think that’s the only reason Pederson never considered giving him a pink slip.
Taylor is viewed in NFL circles as future head coach material and it’s clear Pederson sees him in that light, so it doesn’t matter what Press critics think.
But here’s another factor in Pederson keeping Taylor aboard: he wanted him working another year with Trevor Lawrence instead of risking a setback with his franchise quarterback by bringing in another coordinator.
Next season, the leash shortens for Taylor, Pederson and everyone else on the offensive staff. As Babich and many NFL coaches understand, loyalty only lasts so long.
Get it right: Pederson better push the right button on Jaguars’ defensive coordinator hire
Smart approach on Fred Taylor HOF push
When longtime Jacksonville Pro Football Hall of Fame voter Sam Kouvaris made his Zoom call presentation to the electorate Wednesday on behalf of Fred Taylor, he didn’t just recite glowing statistics from the career of the legendary Jaguars running back.
It’s the job of presenters for all 15 finalists to deliver an impactful message, so Kouvaris thought it best to relay the feelings of respected HOF members about Taylor.
He spoke to six Hall of Famers — Ray Lewis, Troy Polamalu, Thurman Thomas, Derrick Brooks, Zach Thomas and Marcus Allen — to get their views. Lewis, the Baltimore Ravens’ 17-year linebacker and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, was so effusive in his praise of Taylor that he engaged Kourvaris in a 45-minute conversation.
“Ray was delightful,” said Kouvaris. “He said, ‘Fred was a problem. I had to make myself better to play against him.’ These guys couldn’t have called me back quicker or spent more time on the phone with me [talking about Taylor].”
The 50 voters have cast their ballots, so all that remains is learning when five modern-era players get a surprise knock on their door in the next two weeks and are presented at the NFL Honors program on Feb. 8.
Taylor is trying to become the first running back enshrined in Canton since Indianapolis Colts rival and good friend Edgerrin James in 2020. Taylor played high school football at Belle Glade Central, 70 miles from James at Immokalee High.
NFL playoff trivia
There are three former Jaguars players who were on 53-man rosters that are part of the eight coaching staffs still alive in the playoffs. Who are they? Answer at the bottom.
Waiting on Golden touch
Through 50 games of the Todd Golden era, the wait continues for Florida’s basketball program to find that higher gear.
While the Gators still have time to ascend, many expected Golden’s teams to be much better at this point than 27-23 overall and 10-12 in the SEC.
By comparison, predecessor Mike White, who many UF fans grumbled so much about that it compelled him to leave for Georgia, was 32-18 in his first 50 games and 11-9 in the SEC. In his last 50 games, he was 29-21 and 15-14.
Golden has assembled enough talent through the transfer portal, especially top scorers Walter Clayton (Iona), Zyon Pullin (UC-Riverside) and Tyrese Samuel (Seton Hall), for Florida to be an NCAA tournament team.
Unfortunately, the Gators (11-6, 1-3) have yet to become a team as good as the sum of their parts, which is an indictment on coaching. UF wasn’t very competitive in recent road losses to No. 6-ranked Tennessee or Ole Miss. They still don’t own a win over anybody ranked in the top 75 of college basketball’s net rankings.
Florida has only six games left against opponents ranked in the top 50, so it better find a way to get at least two wins there, plus win a minimum seven of the other eight if it hopes to reach the Big Dance.
The Gators should finish a lot better than another first-round exit in the NIT, albeit the Colin Castleton injury last year was a huge blow. But anything less than getting to the NCAAs would be a major setback for Golden’s program.
UNF more than 3-point gunners
From watching North Florida’s basketball team in person the last couple games, what struck me is how much more committed the Ospreys seem than in recent years to playing intense defense for longer periods of time.
When UNF was contending or winning ASUN championships, those teams had that factor. While the Ospreys will always have the “Birds of Trey” reputation — they lead the nation with an average of 12.5 three-pointers made and 34.9 attempts per game — that's not all who they are.
In Thursday’s 84-75 win over defending ASUN champ Kennesaw State, the fastest tempo team in the country at 76.8 possessions per game, UNF held the Owls to 73 possessions and never fouled enough to get KSU into the bonus.
“This group is really, really connected and they’re realizing how much easier it is offensively when they do it defensively,” said UNF coach Matthew Driscoll. “It’s in stretches. It’s not complete yet, but we don’t want to be complete yet. That’s probably the No. 1 thing I’m most proud of, what we’re doing on the other end [on defense].”
It’s too early to know if the Ospreys (10-9, 3-1) will be a league contender. But with 6-foot-4 guard Chaz Lanier emerging as a deadly shooter (113 of 226, 50 percent), seven different players making threes against Kennesaw, and the way UNF is playing defense, this team is showing some promise.
Quick-hitting nuggets
Rory McIlroy, a voice of reason for the most part in the PGA Tour-LIV dustup, told Sky Bet’s “Stick to Football” show that LIV has exposed flaws in the Tour, which is asking sponsors to pony up more money despite not being able to guarantee all the top players appearing at their events. He wants the two golf entities to find a way to compromise, astutely saying: “If you start dividing the eyeballs in professional golf, it’s no good for anyone. It cannibalizes itself.” …
Congratulations to retired Jaguars communications czar Dan Edwards, who is one of three NFL public relations people being inducted into the PR wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in June. This is the third year the PFHOF is honoring NFL lifers who have served in various capacities, including video, equipment, athletic trainers and assistant coaches. Edwards is being recognized along with retired colleagues Harvey Greene of the Miami Dolphins and Frank Ramos of the New York Jets. …
It’s a bit of a head-scratcher that Andruw Jones, a 10-time Gold Glove outfielder for the Atlanta Braves with 434 career home runs, has yet to be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. But what’s really baffling is Jones, who finds out Tuesday if he gets elected, never received 50 percent of the vote until last year when he got 58 percent, well below the 75 percent requirement. …
Trivia answer
The three former Jaguars’ players on coaching staffs still alive in the NFL playoffs are quarterback Mark Brunell (1995-2003), the QB coach for the Detroit Lions; cornerback Aaron Glenn (2007), the defensive coordinator for the Lions; and safety Nick Sorensen (2003-06), defensive pass game specialist for the San Francisco 49ers.
Pigskin forecast
Kansas City Chiefs over Buffalo Bills by 1 (mistake-free quarterback); Houston Texans over Baltimore Ravens by 1 (future league MVP); San Francisco 49ers over Green Bay Packers by 7 (Love lockups); Detroit Lions over Tampa Bay Buccaneers by 4 (kneecaps); Last week: 2 right, 4 Matthew Stafford boo-birds.
Gfrenette@jacksonville.com; (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Pederson's loyalty to Jaguars OC Press Taylor part of NFL coaching profession
