JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Action News studios were buzzing with activity this morning as new Jaguars owner Shad Khan sat down for his first in-studio interview with Mike and Tera Barz.
Khan was candid in sharing his thoughts about the future of the franchise, as well as sharing some insight into what makes him tick. One thing was clear, he has a real passion for Jacksonville and thinks it's important to market the team and the city in hopes of growing both. He believes one way to do that, is to play at least one game a season overseas. Khan says it would give Jacksonville greater exposure and give the city the kind of advertising that "money can't buy."
As for the team, Khan was also involved in all new hires, including new head coach Mike Mularkey. He tells Action News he believes the Jaguars have assembled the "best staff in the business." This will help when it comes to getting free agents. For Khan, it really comes down to brain power and evaluating talent to turn the team back into a winner. One position he knows needs to improve, is the play at quarterback. Khan said, "they've got to develop Blaine (Gabbert)." One way in which that will happen is with the addition of new quarterbacks' coach Greg Olson. Khan was quick to point out, Olson helped develop Drew Brees in college and has been successful with other teams in the NFL. Another way to improve is through free agency and the draft, although no decisions have been made on who they might target. Certainly, developing talent around Gabbert is one way to improve, and they say they will work hard to get the best players.
Personally, Khan says owning an NFL franchise is a dream come true. He wrote it down on his bucket list back in college at the University of Illinois and is happy he can now cross it off the list. Now he's starting a new list, which involves winning a Super Bowl. He talked passionately about living the American Dream and laughed when asked about all the attention his 112 million dollar yacht was attracting downtown. "I've been surprised and happy. It brought a lot of people downtown, something the Mayor's been asking for, so we met his wish." As for all the attention his mustache has been getting, he finds it flattering. The mustache is what he believes is the "stimulus package" that Jacksonville needs.
