Jaguars running backs Earnest Byner has coached a rushing champion for the second time in his NFL coaching career, as Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew led the league this season.

But Byner, like most of the rest of Jack Del Rio's lame duck staff, could find himself unemployed with a new coaching hire on the horizon and no guarantees that the new coach will have any holdovers on his staff.

For Byner, it could be a repeat of coaching a rushing champion and then heading to the unemployment line as a reward, says the Florida Times-Union. In 2009, Byner was with the Tennessee Titans and Chris Johnson enjoyed a 2,000-yard season. But after the season, then-Titans coach Jeff Fisher fired Byner. Though no explanation was given, other than Fisher wanted Kennedy Pola as his running backs coach, Byner was let go in part because he wasn't afraid to interject his opinion behind closed doors in meetings.

The whole thing became more of an issue when Pola bolted for Southern California and Lane Kiffin's coaching staff there without ever coaching a game for the Titans.

Byner said he does think about not only not reaping the rewards of having a rushing champion, but being out of work in spite of it - again.

“Do I think about it? Yes,” Byner said. “Does it bother me? No, not necessarily bother me. It’s always a question, though, as to what do I need to do, what do I need to continue to do to make sure I continue on with my career coaching, and for my development as a coach as well. Not just having a job, but my overall development into being a head coach at one point.”

 Follow me on Twitter @TitanInsider247 and @terrymc13

Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com
 

Comments

Add a Comment