Jacksonville Jaguars fire defensive coach Mike Caldwell, others after 9-8 season

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- The Jacksonville Jaguars fired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and several other assistants after another 9-8 season in 2023-24, the team said.

The Jaguars announced the firings Monday night.

They also fired defensive quality control coaches Tee Mitchell and Sean Cullina, passing game coordinator/cornerbacks coach Deshea Townsend, defensive line coach Brentson Buckner, inside linebackers coach Tony Gilbert, safeties coach Cody Grimm and senior defensive assistant Bob Sutton.

Caldwell was hired as Jaguars defensive coordinator in 2022. The Jaguars ranked 24th in yards allowed, with the seventh-worst pass defense in the NFL in his first season. They ranked 12th against the run.

The 2023-24 Jaguars ranked 22nd in yards allowed this season. They again allowed the seventh-most passing yards. The Jaguars had the No. 9 run defense in the league, and the defense forced the sixth-fewest turnovers in the league.

Caldwell served as an inside linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2019 through 2021. He also was a linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets earlier in his career.

Pederson met with reporters earlier Monday for a news conference, but said he was "still processing everything," when asked if he would make changes to his coaching staff.

"With the way we finished, it's not where we want to be," Pederson said. "I've got to take all of this into consideration."

The 2023-24 Jaguars went 1-2 to start the season. They then won seven out of their next eight to carry an 8-3 record into Week 13. They lost five of their final six games to finish in second place in the AFC South, behind the division-winning Houston Texans (10-7).

The Jaguars finished as the No. 9 team in the AFC, two spots shy of the postseason. They will have the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.