Jaguars reportedly have a head coaching interview wish list

It may be Dec. 26, but the Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly have a list of candidates they want to interview for their head coaching vacancy.

The Jacksonville Jaguars thought they had their head coach for the foreseeable future in Urban Meyer when hiring him back in January. But less than a year into the job, the team fired Meyer after a 2-11 record and a multitude of controversies and drama. Now, the Jaguars are on the hunt for another sideline boss, and they reportedly have some candidates in mind.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that the Jaguars have an initial list of candidates they want to interview for their head coaching vacancy. Three big names on that list are Doug Pederson, Jim Caldwell and Byron Leftwich, per Rapoport.

Teams can begin interviewing head coaching candidates on Tuesday, Dec. 28.

Jaguars interested in interviewing Doug Pederson, Jim Caldwell and Byron Leftwich

Pederson is less than a year removed since he was fired as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. What will undoubtedly intrigue the Jaguars is the fact that Pederson won a Super Bowl as a head coach, which just so happened to be the first Lombardi Trophy the Eagles have ever won in its franchises history.

In his five seasons in Philadelphia, Pederson holds a 42-37-1 regular-season record and a 4-2 playoff record.

Caldwell has two head coaching stints on his resume. He took over for Tony Dungy in Indianapolis as Colts head coach in 2009 and he won the AFC Championship in his very first season. Following the end of his stint in 2011, Caldwell was hired as head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2014. In four-years, Caldwell only had one losing season (2015, 7-9 record). The Lions parted ways with Caldwell after finishing 9-7 in 2017, and the Lions have not had a winning season since.

Overall, Caldwell carries a 62-50 record between his stints in Indianapolis and Detroit.

Leftwich is set to be one of the more in-demand head coaching candidates of the offseason. He is in his third season as offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers and they are one of the top offensive units in the entire league. They have averaged 402.4 total yards (second-highest) and 29.3 points (league-best) entering Week 16.

Additionally, Leftwich does have a Jacksonville connection, as he was their former starting quarterback from 2003 until 2006. Leftwich could be the ideal candidate for the Jaguars, as they are looking for a head coach who can help get the best out of star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.