One day after announcing Chris Doyle as their new director of sports performance, the Jaguars have announced Doyle’s resignation.
“Chris Doyle came to us this evening to submit his resignation and we have accepted,” Jaguars coach Urban Meyer said in a statement. “Chris did not want to be a distraction to what we are building in Jacksonville. We are responsible for all aspects of our program and, in retrospect, should have given greater consideration to how his appointment may have affected all involved. We wish him the best as he moves forward in his career.”
Well, yes, the Jaguars should have considered the repercussions of Doyle’s hiring before he was hired.
It created an instant firestorm, with Meyer facing tough questions from the team’s beat reporters Thursday. It served as Meyer’s “welcome to the NFL” moment.
Doyle departed Iowa last summer with a $1.1 million separation agreement after he was accused of making racist comments and belittling players. He denied any “unethical behavior or bias” based on race.
Meyer defended the hiring and said he was unconcerned about what Doyle’s presence could do to the team’s ability to add free agents.
News of Doyle’s resignation came only a few hours after Fritz Pollard Alliance executive director Rod Graves took issue with Doyle’s hiring.
“His conduct should be as disqualifying for the NFL as it was for the University of Iowa,” Graves said in the statement. “Urban Meyer’s statement, ‘I’ve known Chris for close to 20 years,’ reflects the good ol’ boy network that is precisely the reason there is such a disparity in employment opportunities for Black coaches.”