An ESPN report Wednesday stating the Jaguars were interviewing Tom Coughlin for their head coaching vacancy was news to many within the organization.

"It was a surprise to all of us," a team source said.

A surprise because general manager Dave Caldwell spent the afternoon watching practice, which may have precluded him from attending the interview.

If Coughlin was simply meeting with owner Shad Khan ahead of a main interview Thursday with Khan, Caldwell and Co., the situation would gain some needed clarity.

But if Caldwell, who Khan said last week was "charged," with leading the search for a new coach, wasn’t a part of the interview, then it’s conceivable to think any Coughlin-related discussion would involve him gaining control of the 53-man roster.

What role the search firm hired by Khan last week played in the interview is also unclear.

Caldwell didn’t return a message to the Times-Union seeking comment.

A team source said Coughlin, Khan and senior vice president Tony Khan weren’t spotted at EverBank Field at any point Wednesday.

That Caldwell’s possible exclusion is being discussed – and not immediately debunked by Khan’s camp – is not a good look for Khan, who was not present in Houston on Dec. 18 to fire coach Gus Bradley via face-to-face meeting. Caldwell and Tony Khan handled that task.

The Jaguars’ search will intensify Monday when they file the required paperwork with the NFL office requesting permission to speak to coaches under contract with other teams. They are under no such restriction with Coughlin.

Coughlin coached the Jaguars from 1995-2002, took a year off and then coached the New York Giants for 12 seasons, winning the Super Bowl after the 2007 and 2011 seasons. He has spent this year working in the league office.