Boston College coach Tom Coughlin agreed to coach the Jacksonville Jaguars because of the unique opportunity "of establishing a team from the ground up."
"This is once in a lifetime opportunity," Coughlin said Monday at a news conference."I'm very excited about being named the Jaguars head coach. I have studied the opportunity in great depth and look forward to the challenges of establishing a team from the ground up," Coughlin said, adding he was offered the job Saturday morning and accepted it Sunday afternoon.
Terms of Coughlin's contract were not revealed, although the Boston Globe reported Monday that Coughlin will receive $4 million over five years, making him the highest paid rookie coach in NFL history.
"We have a long-term commitment to Tom Coughlin and his leadership for our Jaguars," said team president David Seldin, who declined comment on Coughlin's contract.
The new coach said he first talked with Jaguars officials about two weeks ago, and "I began to actively share their vision."
Coughlin promised to build a wide-open physical team that will make Jacksonville proud.
His first priority, Coughlin said, is to develop an organizational hierarchy for the team and review staff and pro and college personnel. He hopes to have a scouting team in place for the 1994 NFL and college seasons to review prospects.
In addition to being head coach, Coughlin and his staff will have "strong authority in the player personnel area," said team owner J. Wayne Weaver.
Coughlin's hiring comes as a surprise since his name previously had not been mentioned. The Jaguars reportedly interviewed Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Tony Dungy and Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz last week.
Coughlin was 21-13-1 at Boston College in three years, taking the Eagles to bowl games the last two years. He went 4-7 in his first season after succeeding Jack Bicknell.