Tom Coughlin’s first media session in seven months was lacking one thing: A vote of confidence for Jacksonville coach Doug Marrone.
The Jaguars are a disappointing 4-7 this season, and Marrone’s status is a hot topic. But Coughlin, the team’s executive vice president of football operations, repeatedly dodged questions on Wednesday about Marrone, who is 19-24 in three full seasons with the club after going 1-1 as interim head coach in 2016.
“Five games to win,” Coughlin said when asked about Marrone the first time.
A bit later, the answer included a mention of evaluations throughout the organization.
“We have five games to go, and then there will certainly be an evaluation of every one of us. Of everybody,” Coughlin said.
Marrone, Coughlin and general manager Dave Caldwell all have contracts through the 2021 season, after receiving extensions following the teams’ run to the AFC Championship game in January of 2018.
Asked if he would return next season, Coughlin said, “there are five games to go.”
One thing Coughlin was candid about is that there are “no excuses” for the poor season the team is experiencing.
Jacksonville has fallen out of the AFC South race with three straight setbacks and is on its way to missing the playoffs for the 11th time in 12 seasons.
“We know as an organization that we’ve put ourselves in a hole this season and, specifically, not performed as we had planned in the second half of the last three divisional games,” Coughlin said. “I offer no excuses. … It’s important to keep in mind that we have five games to play, and we are committed to do our very best to prepare, to practice and to put ourselves in the best possible position to win five games, one game at a time.”
Another topic Coughlin wanted no part of was the in-season trade of cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams. Ramsey sharply criticized Coughlin prior to the trade.
“I’m not going to speak about Jalen,” Coughlin said. “He’s no longer a part of our team. He’s a member of another team.”
–Field Level Media
