Chris Doyle, the former longtime strength coach for Iowa Hawkeyes football who left the program amid accusations of racism, has been hired as the director of sport performance with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
New Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer said on Thursday that he has known Doyle for close to 20 years.
"I vetted him thoroughly along with our general manager and owner," Meyer said at a news conference. "I feel great about the hire, about his expertise at that position. We vetted him thoroughly and sports performance is going to be a high, high priority."
Doyle spent 21 years with the Hawkeyes, but as former players made accusations about institutional racism within the football program, including specific accusations against Doyle, he and the university agreed to a $1.1 million buyout.
After that decision was made, Doyle released a statement that said while he made past mistakes, he never used racist language: "At no time have I ever crossed the line of unethical behavior or bias based on race. I do not make racists comments and I don't tolerate people that do."
In the aftermath of Doyle's firing and an external review of racism in the football program, the Hawkeyes hired former Cretin-Derham Hall and University of Iowa standout Broderick Binns to be their executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion for the athletic department.
Binns had previously been the director of player development for the Hawkeyes football team.
Meyer officially hired Doyle as Jacksonville's director of sports performance — part of a 30-person staff — and said he will assist the strength and conditioning and athletic training programs.
