Chris Doyle quits Jaguars over hiring criticism

[ad_1]

Chris Doyle will no longer be part of the Jaguars organization.

Amid criticism of his hiring as Jacksonville’s athletic performance director, Doyle resigned from the club on Friday night, the team said.

“Chris Doyle came to see us tonight to submit his resignation and we have accepted,” coach Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke said in a joint statement, which was amended on Saturday morning to include Baalke’s name after that the team said he was inadvertently left. disabled. “Chris didn’t want to be a distraction from what we are building in Jacksonville. We are responsible for all aspects of our program and in retrospect we should have paid more attention to how his appointment may have affected everyone. involved. We wish him the best as he moves forward in his career. “

Doyle’s hiring has been called into question due to the way he parted ways with the Iowa Hawkeyes last June after a 20-year tenure under Kirk Ferentz. His departure follows many former players who have spoken out against the former fitness coach, alleging racism and bullying.

Meyer emphatically defended the addition of Doyle in an interview with reporters Thursday, saying the team “did a very good job checking out” Doyle and noted that he was “very confident” that his friend from almost 20 years would cause no problem despite his turbulent past.

In response to the questionable hiring, the Fritz Pollard Alliance issued a strong statement Friday afternoon titled “A Failure of Jacksonville Jaguars Leadership,” condemning the team’s decision to bring Doyle on board.

“At a time when the NFL has failed to resolve its issue with racial hiring practices, it is simply unacceptable to welcome Chris Doyle to the ranks of NFL coaching,” wrote the executive director of Fritz Pollard Alliance, Rod Graves, in press release. “Doyle’s departure from the University of Iowa reflected a tenure riddled with poor judgment and mistreatment of black players. His conduct should be as disqualifying for the NFL as it was for the University of Iowa. ‘Iowa. Urban Meyer’s statement, “I know Chris from almost 20 years old,” reflects the good network of former boys who is precisely why there is such a disparity in employment opportunities for young men. black coaches. “

[ad_2]