Jaguars To Name Del Rio Head Coach
Staff Report January 16, 2003

The Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to announce tomorrow that Carolina defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio will be it's second head coach in franchise history.

After a lengthy coaching search, owner Wayne Weaver decided on the former Minnesota Viking and Dallas Cowboy linebacker. Del Rio also coached under Brian Billick at Baltimore before moving to Carolina.

Last year Del Rio took a Carolina defense ranked 32nd in the league and rose all the way to number two by the end of the 2002 season.

Del Rio agreed to a five-year contract worth between $1.2-$1.3 million a year.

Weaver began the search by saying he wanted someone with previous head coaching experience, but soon turned to assistants.

''Shame on me if I'm not flexible enough in my thinking as I go through the process to adjust and process information and say, 'Hey, I might be leaving out some (quality) candidates because I accept these ground rules for myself,''' Weaver told the Florida Times-Union.

The Jaguars are also expected to have a deal in place for Baltimore Ravens scouting director Phil Savage, who worked with Del Rio in Baltimore, as their new general manager.