Chris Doyle resigns 1 day after Jaguars' controversial hire
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer announced Friday night that Chris Doyle has resigned one day after he was hired as the team's new director of sports performance.
The hire was widely criticized, as Doyle parted ways with the University of Iowa in June due to allegations of racism and bullying.
"Chris Doyle came to us this evening to submit his resignation and we have accepted," 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."
Doyle served as Iowa's head strength and conditioning coach from 1999-2019. He was placed on administrative leave in June after a number of players described unfair treatment and racial bias from Doyle during their time with the team. The school then reached a separation agreement with the coach that included a $1.11-million buyout.
Meyer defended the decision to hire Doyle, stating he vetted the coach and has known him for nearly 20 years.
On Friday, the executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance - a foundation that champions diversity in the NFL - called the hire "unacceptable."
"At a time when the NFL has failed to solve its problem with racial hiring practices, it is simply unacceptable to welcome Chris Doyle into the ranks of NFL coaches," Rod Graves wrote in a statement. "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 University of Iowa."
Graves added that Meyer's personal relationship with Doyle "reflects the good ol'boy network that is precisely the reason there is such a disparity in employment opportunities for Black coaches."
Meyer was hired as the Jaguars' new head coach in January and is making the leap to the NFL for the first time after a successful 17-year run at the college level.
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