Jaguars owner Shad Khan gives clear verdict on new GM James Gladstone's hiring

It was reported in late January that Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen allegedly refused to become the Jacksonville Jaguars' new head coach as long as general manager Trent Baalke remained with the team. Jaguars owner Shad Khan apparently fired the executive and convinced Coen to lead the team next season.

Since Baalke's dismissal, Khan has been vetting prospects for the general manager role with the input of his new coach and has settled on James Gladstone. On Friday, the owner explained why he picked the 34-year-old over other candidates in a statement that read:

"James emerged as my choice, and our choice, following a painstaking but energizing interview process that left nothing to doubt.... 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."

Khan added that he's excited about the Jaguars' future under the tutelage of his son, Tony Khan, Coen, Gladstone and Tony Boselli, who joined the team's leadership group earlier this month as the executive vice president of football operations, a title that Baalke previously held.

"It's going to be fun watching James work with our football leadership team of Liam Coen, Tony Boselli and Tony Khan, but most of all it will be rewarding. I am confident of that," the statement added.

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Who is James Gladstone?

After earning his master's degree in education administration from Lindenwood University in St. Louis, James Gladstone, a former wide receiver at Westminster College, joined the Los Angeles Rams' front office as a senior assistant to general manager Les Snead in 2016.

After excelling in the role for two years, the franchise made him its player personnel coordinator in 2018. Gladstone continued to rise through the ranks in LA and was promoted to director of scouting strategy in 2019 and remained in that role since.

He played a critical role in helping construct the roster that won the Super Bowl in 2022 and has been the architect of the Rams' draft success over the past two seasons, which has yielded players like Puka Nacua, Jared Verse, Braden Fiske and Kamren Kinchens.

Gladstone and Liam Coen worked together for the Rams when Coen was the offensive coordinator, which seemingly helped him land the Jaguars' general manager role. The duo is now tasked with leading Jacksonville's resurgence, and if their track record is anything to go by, owner Shad Khan's palpable excitement is justified.