It's been quite the busy day for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Shortly after it was announced that longtime head coach Jack Del Rio had been fired, team owner Wayne Weaver also announced on Tuesday he is selling the franchise to Pakistani-born businessman Shahid Khan.
Khan, who owns an Illinois based auto parts manufacturer, said on Tuesday that
owning an NFL team has been a life-long goal of his:
"This is a franchise with tons of potential, playing in a community that is passionate about football and loves to win. I can't think of a better place to be," Khan said.
Weaver apparently wanted a prospective buyer to be committed to keeping the team in Jacksonville rather than trying to relocate the franchise in Los Angeles or elsewhere. So Khan supposedly won't be pursuing that possibility just yet. He will, however, have to hire a new head coach once the season ends. In the meantime, defensive coordinator Mel Tucker will finish out the season as the Jaguars' interim head coach.
Tucker's first game will be a nationally televised affair next Monday night against the reeling
San Diego Chargers. Losers of six straight games, the Chargers might be the next in line to fire their head coach. A loss in Jacksonville in Week 13 might be the straw that breaks the came's back for Norv Turner.
We'll have much more preview coverage throughout the week as the Jaguars begin a new era.
