The Jacksonville Jaguars fired head coach Urban Meyer with four games remaining in his first season on the job, owner Shad Khan announced Wednesday night.
The move comes just days after a report detailed major tension under the watch of the college football legend, and hours after former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo said Meyer kicked him during a practice in August.
"After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban's tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone," Khan said in a statement. "I informed Urban of the change this evening. As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen."
In the NFL Network report on Meyer, sources recounted a heated argument between the head coach and veteran wide receiver Marvin Jones, said Meyer suggested to his assistants during a staff meeting that they're losers while he's a winner, and asserted that he'd ordered the unusual benching of standout running back James Robinson.
Lambo's revelation brought further controversy to Meyer's already rocky tenure, with the veteran detailing the alleged kicking incident and Meyer's behavior thereafter in an interview with Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times.
"(The kick) certainly wasn't as hard as he could've done it, but it certainly wasn't a love tap," Lambo said. "Truthfully, I'd register it as a five (out of 10). Which in the workplace, I don't care if it’s football or not, the boss can't strike an employee. And for a second, I couldn't believe it actually happened.