Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan announced on Tuesday that Gus Bradley will return as the team’s head coach in 2016.
Bradley was hired by the Jaguars in 2013. Next year will be the final year of Bradley’s contract, according to ESPN. The Jaguars have struggled in recent years and keeping Bradley as the head coach is a result of the progress that the team has made with him as the coach.
"I spoke to Gus Bradley today to confirm to him that he will continue as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. It's evident to see how far we've come in many aspects of our game, and Gus deserves a lot of credit for that progress," Khan said in a statement.
"It's also evident the considerable work that remains to be done to be where we expect to be at this time next season, which is well above where we stand today. And Gus understands that. [General manager] Dave Caldwell and I also spoke today and we are both confident that Gus will make 2016 the best year of his career. In the meantime, I expect his coaching staff and team to respond favorably to this news in preparation for Houston on Sunday and then begin thinking about what more they can provide next season. We have high ambitions."
The Jaguars have been one of the worst teams in the NFL. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2007, which was also the last time they had a winning record. Bradley won four games in 2013, three games last year, and five games this year. He is 12-35 in three seasons as the Jaguars coach, according to the Associated Press. The Jaguars have gotten better and more competitive this year as their offense is good, but their defense is a problem. They are on pace to give up the second-most points in team history this year and rank 25th in the NFL in total defense.
The Jaguars are 5-10 and play the Houston Texans on Sunday to finish the season.