The Jacksonville Jaguars have named Jerry Sullivan wide receivers coach for the 2012 season.
Of all the hires head coach Mike Mularkey has made, this might turn out to be the least popular. Mularkey interviewed Keenan McCardell, the Jaguars second all-time leading receiver, for the position on Monday. McCardell quickly became the fan favorite for the job, with chants of “Keenan, Keenan…” erupting from the crowd during Tuesday’s “Ready to Rise Rally.”
In the end, Mularkey chose to go with a veteran who had experience in managing the various personalities that come along as part on an NFL receiving corps. Sullivan, 65, certainly has a lot of experience – 40 years of it, to be exact – coaching at the NFL and collegiate levels.
Sullivan did not coaching during the 2011 season. He did, however, spend the offseason and lockout working with NFL players, most notably Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals.
Sullivan spent 2005-2010 as wide receivers coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He also coached in Miami in 2004, Arizona from 2001-2003, Detroit from 1997-2000, and San Diego from 1992-1996.
Sullivan will be in charge of directing a unit that has long been a disappointment for the Jaguars. The team will most certainly look to upgrade the position through free agency and the NFL draft, hopefully improving upon what has widely been considered one of the worst wide receivers corps in the NFL in recent years.
