Jaguars fire offensive coordinator DeFilippo after 1 season

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars have fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo after one season.

Coach Doug Marrone made the decision Monday, the day his assistants returned from a brief break following the regular-season finale.

It’s the second time in 13 months that DeFilippo has been let go. Minnesota fired him in December 2018 after less than one season on the job. He landed in Jacksonville and was reunited with quarterback Nick Foles. “Flip” was Foles’ quarterback coach in Philadelphia in 2017, the season when the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Foles was the MVP of the title game.

The Jaguars (6-10) ranked 20th in the league in total offense and 26th in scoring. They had a 1,000-yard rusher (Leonard Fournette) and a 1,000-yard receiver (DJ Chark) for the first time since 2004. But the offense rarely looked smooth, and Fournette openly criticized the play-calling at times.

It also appears Jacksonville is ready to move forward with Gardner Minshew as its starter, with Foles serving as a high-priced backup in 2020.

Now, Marrone will search for a replacement for DeFilippo going into what seems to be a playoffs-or-overhaul season in Jacksonville.

Owner Shad Khan kept Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell despite public calls for a reboot, and Khan made it clear that expectations would be high. Marrone and Caldwell have two years remaining on their contracts.

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