The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense under first-year offensive coordinator Liam Coen was one of the best in football.

Baker Mayfield had his best year as a pro under Coen. He threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, had a completion percentage of 71.4, and a passer rating of 106.8. Coupled with what Coen was able to do in the run game, his presence has been felt.

Tampa Bay’s run game was among the worst in football under Dave Canales in 2023, averaging just 90.4 yards per game. Under Coen, that shot up to 146.5, which ranked fourth in the NFL.

The Buccaneers also had the fourth-highest-scoring offense in football, averaging a cool 29.5 points per game, a far cry from the 20.5 scored last season.

But we are now at the point in the year when teams try to poach other coaches to build their staff in the hopes of having a better 2025.

Coen has already had head coach interviews, most notably with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and if he does leave and make a major move, it will be Mayfield’s third different offensive coordinator in his three years in Tampa.

Plus, given what we’ve laid out above, and all the good that Coen has done for this offense, losing him would be a hammer blow. That is why the Buccaneers must do everything in their power to retain Coen.

Does that mean making him the head coach in Tampa, with Todd Bowles not exactly the toast of the town? That’s seemingly not in play, but the organization has to figure out a way to keep Liam with the Buccaneers.

Something special is being built here, and if Coen leaves, it might come crumbling down.