A veteran of 22 years in the coaching profession, Mike Shula is in his fourth season as the Jaguars' quarterbacks coach. Shula’s coaching career includes 18 years in the NFL and four seasons as head coach at Alabama.
David Garrard became the Jaguars’ starting quarterback in Shula’s first season with the club. Over the past three campaigns Garrard has completed 857 of 1,376 (62.3%) passes for 9,726 yards with 48 touchdown passes and 26 interceptions, a passer rating of 87.19. Garrard leads all NFL quarterbacks in rushing yards over that three-year span with 830 yards and a 4.2-yard average.
Garrard’s 2009 season was capped by his appearance in his first Pro Bowl, replacing Peyton Manning. In 2008 Garrard posted career highs with 335 of 535 passing for 3,620 yards with 15 touchdowns.
In Shula’s first season with the Jaguars, the club set a single-season franchise record with 28 touchdown passes. Garrard ranked third in the NFL with a team-record 102.2 passer rating, threw an NFL-low three interceptions, and broke the team record for highest completion percentage (64.0). He finished with the second-lowest interception percentage in any season for any quarterback in NFL history with 300-plus attempts at 0.92 (3 interceptions in 325 attempts).
Shula finished with a 26-23 mark in four seasons at Alabama and led the Crimson Tide to three consecutive bowl games including a 10-2 mark and an invitation to the Cotton Bowl in 2005. Shula played a major role in the development of quarterback Brodie Croyle, who holds the school's career records for pass attempts, completions and yards. He set the school's single-season record with 2,499 passing yards in 2005 and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2006 draft.
Prior to becoming a head coach, Shula spent three seasons as quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2000-02 under Dave Wannstedt. It was Shula's second stint with Miami as he previously spent two years (1991-92) as a Dolphins assistant. Quarterback Jay Fiedler compiled a 21-10 record as a starter during Shula's tenure as Miami's quarterbacks coach. Fiedler became just the second quarterback in team history to surpass the 3,000-yard passing mark in 2002. He finished with a 60.7 completion percentage, the highest by a Dolphin since 1995.
Shula served four seasons as offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996-99 under head coach Tony Dungy. The Buccaneers qualified for the playoffs in two of Shula's four seasons and in 1999 won the NFC Central Division and reached the NFC Championship game.
Shula began his NFL coaching career as offensive assistant for the Buccaneers from 1988-89 and spent the 1990 season as quarterbacks coach. He also spent time as tight ends coach for the Chicago Bears under Wannstedt from 1993-95.
A three-year letterman (1984-86) at quarterback for Alabama, Shula finished his career with a 32-15-1 record as a starter. He was a 12th-round draft pick of Tampa Bay in 1987 and remained on the roster for part of the 1987 season. He earned his bachelor's degree in labor relations in 1987. He is the son of former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula (1970-95), the winningest coach in NFL history, and brother of former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Dave Shula (1992-96).
Shula, 45, and his wife, Shari, have three daughters: Samantha, Brooke and Ryan.
COACHING
BACKGROUND
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1988-90, 1996-99, Miami Dolphins 1991-92, 2000-02, Chicago Bears 1993-95, Alabama (head coach) 2003-06, Jacksonville Jaguars 2007-10