Weaver basically told Del Rio that he needed to make the playoffs this year if he had any hopes of coaching for a 10th season. But Del Rio couldn’t get the job done in this do-or-die season. The team was more or less knocked out of the playoff race after the AFC South’s top club Houston beat them 20-13 on Nov. 27.
Jacksonville has been having a hard time selling tickets for some games this season and the timing of the firing might help them in that department, but many fans feel the move has come too late. Mel Tucker, the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator, will take over the squad as its interim coach. Del Rio’s record with the team was 69-73 and he was 1-2 in the postseason. The team didn’t manage to top the AFC South division during his nine years in charge.
It looked like Weaver was going to let Del Rio go after the 2010/11 season, but changed his mind due to the NFL lockout and the uncertainty it brought. But the owner didn’t give any of the assistant coaches contract extensions since he viewed this as a make or break season for them. Del Rio wouldn’t allow linebacker coach Mark Duffner and offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter interview for lateral positions.
However, Mike Shula, the team’s quarterback coach took off after last season when he contract expired and receiver coach Todd Monken headed back to a job at Oklahoma State. Del Rio had to replace Shula and Monken, but there weren’t many applicants due to the situation surrounding the team. Del Rio has claimed that he did the best he could when rebuilding his coaching staff, but he didn’t really have much to choose from.
Many Jacksonville fans were hoping the team was going to part ways with Del Rio in 2008 after the club ended the season with a 5-11 record. Weaver decided to get rid of personnel boss James “Shack” Harris instead and took on Gene Smith as the general manager, who has been rebuilding the team during the past three seasons. The Jaguars haven’t progressed much though over that time.
Del Rio will likely be remembered the most for the infamous incident back in 2003 when he placed an axe and a stump of wood in the locker room as a way to motivate his players. However, it backfired when punter Chris Hanson accidentally gashed his foot with the axe and needed surgery to repair the damage.
There were also occasions where he mishandled his quarterbacks. In 2003 he announced that rookie Byron Leftwich was going to take over the position from Mark Brunell, but he hadn’t informed the players of the move. In 2007 he claimed that Leftwich would be the team’s starter and then cut him just before the season kicked off. The same thing happened this season when Del Rio said David Garrard would start and then cut him. He was replaced by Luke McCown, who was then benched after a couple of games.
