In a whirlwind 24 hours, Liam Coen has gone from committing to remain the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator to accepting the Jacksonville Jaguars head coaching job. The stunning reversal, first reported by ESPN’s Jenna Laine, comes just a day after Coen had pulled out of the Jaguars’ search.
Coen’s Change of Heart
On Wednesday, the 39-year-old Coen was scheduled to interview in-person with Jaguars owner Shad Khan and then-GM Trent Baalke. However, he withdrew his name from consideration and agreed to a new deal with the Buccaneers that would have made him the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator, per Adam Schefter.
But the situation in Jacksonville shifted dramatically just hours later when the team parted ways with Baalke. That development apparently caused Coen to reconsider. He re-entered discussions with the Jaguars on Thursday, ultimately agreeing to become their new head coach.
Offensive Mastermind
Coen earned praise this season for his work with the Buccaneers offense, which ranked third in the NFL in total yards and fourth in points scored. He helped quarterback Baker Mayfield produce the best numbers of his career.
Liam is one of the smartest, most creative offensive minds in the game. He’s going to be a phenomenal head coach.
– Bruce Arians, Buccaneers Senior Advisor
Stability for the Jaguars
The Jaguars are coming off a disappointing 4-13 season that led to the firing of head coach Doug Pederson after just one year. By adding a rising offensive star like Coen and moving on from the unpopular Baalke, the franchise is hoping to find some much-needed stability and direction.
- Fresh perspective from a first-time head coach
- Innovative offensive approach to maximize QB Trevor Lawrence
- New GM to be hired to work in alignment with Coen
It’s a stunning turn of events that sees one of the NFL’s hottest coaching candidates have a change of heart and take on the challenge of turning around a struggling franchise. The Liam Coen era is set to begin in Jacksonville, while the Buccaneers are left searching for a new offensive coordinator to build upon the success of the 2024 season.
