Jacksonville Jaguars interim head coach and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker will stay with the franchise under new head coach Mike Mularkey, as announced last night. Tucker, who had interviewed for the Jags' head coaching job, had spoken to the Minnesota VIkings about their opening at defensive coordinator (despite having not officially fired Fred Pagnac), but announced he would return to Jacksonville in 2012.
Tucker had never officially spoken to the Atlanta Falcons about their defensive coordinator opening, but he was considered among the candidates to replace Brian VanGorder, who left the Atlanta franchise on Monday to become defensive coordinator at Auburn.
Falcons fans might remember Tucker as the man across the sidelines during Atlanta's 41-14 dismantling of the Jags on Thursday Night Football in December, but that team's performance was more of a fait accompli after former head coach Jack Del Rio was let go, and despite that blowout, Tucker's defense finished ranked sixth in the NFL in total defense, eighth in rushing and ninth in passing.
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