Former Commanders and Panthers head coach Ron Rivera met with the Jaguars over the weekend regarding a role on Liam Coen‘s new coaching staff, per Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley.
Rivera has been eyeing a return to the NFL this offseason. He was fired as the Commanders’ head coach after the 2023 season and spent the last year away from football. Over the last two months, he has interviewed with the Bears, the Jets, and the Raiders regarding their head-coaching vacancies, though he was not considered a finalist for any of the three jobs.
The Jaguars also hired former Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Lukabu will be the linebackers coach in Jacksonville under new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, who was hired on Friday.
Campanile’s hire was a crucial decision given Coen’s history as an offensive coach. Campanile has been in the NFL for just five years with no play-calling experience, though he was co-defensive coordinator at Boston College in 2018.
Bringing in a longtime defensive coach like Rivera could help Campanile transition into his new role. Both spent time as linebackers coaches before earning their first jobs as defensive coordinators at 42 years of age.
Rivera’s 13 years as a head coach could also provide Coen, a first-time head coach, with more guidance on leading an entire football team. The 63-year-old Rivera’s 28 seasons of coaching experience would balance out the relative youth of Coen’s initial staff in Jacksonville.