Coach Chris Doyle resigned from the Jaguars the day after the new coach, Urban Meyer, made the controversial decision to hire the former university assistant for his team.
Meyer, who was hired last month for his first job in the NFL, announced late on Friday that Doyle had resigned from his position as sports performance director after the reaction caused by his hiring. The diversity group Fritz Pollard Alliance strongly criticized Jacksonville for hiring Doyle.
Doyle was the principal strength and fitness coach at the University of Iowa until 2020, when he and the school agreed to part ways after he was accused of making racist comments and intimidating players.
“Chris Doyle came to us tonight to present his resignation and we accept,” said Meyer in a statement on Friday. “Chris didn’t want to be a distraction for what we’re building in Jacksonville. We are responsible for all aspects of our program and, in retrospect, we should have considered more how your appointment may have affected everyone involved. We wish him the best as he progresses in his career ”.
Some black players in Iowa accused Doyle of telling them that he would “send them back to the ghetto” if they did not meet their standards, among other observations, according to USA Today. An external analysis of the situation concluded that “a small group of coaches” demoted the players and “the program rules perpetuated racial or cultural prejudices and diminished the value of cultural diversity”.
Doyle, in a statement made last June, defended himself saying: “I don’t make racist comments (sic) and I don’t tolerate people who do.”
Meyer initially defended the hiring at a news conference on Thursday, saying he was “very confident” that there would be no problems with 52-year-old Doyle.
“I’ve known Chris for almost 20 years,” said Meyer, going on to say that his “relationship” with Doyle started when the two were studying together at the University of Utah. The only problem with Meyer’s recollection is that Doyle worked in Utah in 1998 and was already a strength and fitness coach in Iowa when Meyer began his two-year career as a head coach in Utah in 2003.
“In fact, he was doing sports performance before it became a high priority in college sports,” said Meyer. “So I know him, I studied him, we had a relationship. I examined it thoroughly, together with our general manager [Trent Baalke] is owner [Shahid Khan]. “
Many disagreed with Doyle’s hiring, including Rod Graves, executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance. The organization, named after the NFL’s first African-American coach, is made up of coaches, scouts and office staff committed to equal opportunities in professional sports.
“At a time when the NFL has failed to resolve its problem with racial hiring practices, it is simply unacceptable to welcome Chris Doyle into the ranks of NFL coaches,” said Graves, a former Jets executive, in a statement on Friday. “Doyle’s departure from the University of Iowa reflected a riddled mandate for black players to be misjudged and ill-treated. Your conduct must be as disqualifying for the NFL as it was for the University of Iowa.
“Urban Meyer’s statement, ‘I have known Chris for almost 20 years’ reflects the good old boy network that is precisely why there is such a disparity in job opportunities for black coaches.”