Even before his team got smoked in his NFL coaching debut, Jaguars coach Urban Meyer’s ability to adapt from the college to pro ranks has raised “no shortage of red flags,” according to a report.
Meyer already has had “repeated issues” with his assistant coaches and has “rubbed the coaching staff and players the wrong way,” CBS Sports reported Sunday morning, citing sources.
Hours after the report was published, rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Jags were defeated by the Texans, 37-21, in Houston in Meyer’s first game on the Jacksonville sideline.
“[Meyer] has everyone looking over their shoulders already,” one source told CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. “He becomes unhinged way too easily, and he doesn’t know how to handle losing, even in the preseason. He loses it and wants to take over the drills himself. It’s not good.”
Another source told La Canfora that Meyer has “lashed out” at members of his coaching staff and “called some of their job security into question” after preseason losses.
“You can’t freak out about preseason games and belittle your coaches — on a staff you handpicked — every time things don’t go your way,” the second source said. “It’s not going to work here.”
The 57-year-old Meyer boasted a career record of 187-32 in 17 seasons at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State, including a national championship for the Buckeyes in 2014. He was hired by the Jags after they finished with an NFL-worst record of 1-15 last season. That record enabled them to draft Lawrence, who threw for 331 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in his debut.