The Jacksonville Jaguars have named James Gladstone as their new General Manager, a move the team confirmed on Friday. Gladstone, who has served as the Los Angeles Rams' director of scouting strategy for the past four years, will now take the reins of Jacksonville’s front office.
James Gladstone’s appointment and role with the Jaguars
After completing a second in-person interview earlier on Friday, Gladstone was officially announced as the Jaguars’ new GM just hours later. In his new role, Gladstone will work in close collaboration with newly hired head coach Liam Coen, who joined the team last month. This strategic partnership is expected to guide the Jaguars toward a successful future.
In a statement shared with the media, Jaguars owner Shad Khan expressed his full support for Gladstone and his vision for the team. Khan stated,
James emerged as my choice, and our choice, following a painstaking but energizing interview process that left nothing to doubt. In the end, we found James to be a class ahead and exceptional in every regard – vision, new ideas, communication, chemistry, and a keen understanding of the league and our team, to name a few of many virtues he will bring immediately to the Jaguars.
The selection process
The Jaguars conducted an extensive search before settling on Gladstone as the best candidate for the role. Over the past two days, they held in-person second-round interviews with several candidates, including Josh Williams, director of scouting and football operations with the San Francisco 49ers; Ian Cunningham, assistant GM of the Chicago Bears; Jon-Eric Sullivan, VP of player personnel for the Green Bay Packers; and Jaguars interim GM Ethan Waugh.
James Gladstone’s track record and previous collaborations
With eight years of experience at the Rams in various roles, Gladstone’s expertise will be a valuable asset for the Jaguars. His professional relationship with head coach Liam Coen is notable, as the two previously worked together during Coen’s two stints with the Rams staff while Gladstone was in the front office.
Gladstone's hiring process differed from Coen's, whose selection as head coach was quickly finalized after he reneged on a verbal commitment to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his introductory press conference, Coen described the Jaguars opportunity as “an opportunity that you just can’t pass up.”
Gladstone’s hiring marks a significant step forward for the Jaguars, especially after the firing of former GM Trent Baalke. It was reported that Coen, upon accepting the head coaching position, was given the freedom to choose his GM. With Gladstone now in place, the Jaguars appear ready to forge a new chapter under his leadership.