Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver held a press conference at noon today to announce the changes that have been swirling around all morning. Weaver has reached an agreement to sell the team to Shahid Khan, an Illinois business man working in the auto parts area, and Weaver concurrently announced the termination of Jack Del Rio as head coach.
The sale of the team is subject to approval by the NFL and the other owners.
“Shahid Khan is a great American success story and he will be an outstanding owner for this franchise and for this community,” Weaver said at the announcement.
“I am excited for the team and for our great fans because Shahid will bring passion and commitment to the job. He is committed to restoring a winning tradition here in Jacksonville.”
Khan has stated that he is committed to keeping the team in Jacksonville. In 2010, Khan attempted to purchase a majority of the St. Louis Rams, but was blocked when minority owner Stan Kroenke exercised a clause in his agreement to match Khan’s bid.
“Owning a team in the National Football League has long been my personal and professional goal,” Khan said. “Becoming the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars would be a dream come true for me and my family but, above all, would be a privilege. To that end, I would like to thank Commissioner Roger Goodell and members of his team for their counsel and guidance throughout my efforts over the past several years.”
At the same time, Weaver announced the termination of head coach Jack Del Rio. Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker was named as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Tucker, 39, is in his third season with the Jaguars after being named defensive coordinator in January of 2009. This is his 5th year in coaching including eight seasons in at the collegiate level and seven in the NFL.
