After parting ways with head coach Doug Pederson following a disappointing 2024 campaign, the Jacksonville Jaguars have seemingly found their replacement.
The Jaguars tabbed Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen as their next head coach Thursday, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. The two sides still must complete contract negotiations, but the coach is returning to Tampa while representatives finalize the deal.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic added Coen informed the Buccaneers that he will be taking the job.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter also confirmed the news:
Russini previously reported the Jaguars offered Coen “Ben Johnson level money along with multiple years.”
It represents a significant change of direction for Coen and the Jaguars over the past two days.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday that Coen removed himself from the running for the position. Team owner Shad Khan announced that same day that the team was parting ways with general manager Trent Baalke after his initial commitment to retain him. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the very next day that Jacksonville reached out to him to see if he would reconsider, and he met with the team to begin moving toward a deal.
Coen will now have a key role in finding a new general manager to replace Baalke, as Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports explained:
A longtime assistant at the college and pro levels, Coen spent the 2024 season as offensive coordinator of the Buccaneers. Under his direction, the Bucs ranked third in the NFL with 399.5 total yards per game and fourth with 29.5 points per game on their way to earning a fourth straight NFC South title. The team fell to the Washington Commanders in the NFC Wild Card Round.
Coen was able to bring the best out of veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield, who produced career highs of 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns and completed 71.4 percent of his passes in their first year together. Rookie running back Bucky Irving, a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft, also ranked 10th in the league with 1,122 yards and added eight touchdowns with Coen dialing up plays for him.
The Jaguars fired Pederson after his three-year tenure ended with a 4-13 finish to the 2024 season.
In its first year under Pederson in 2022, Jacksonville went 9-8, won the AFC South title and earned a playoff win. However, the team fell short of the playoffs in 2023 after losing five of its last six games, and things completely fell apart this past season.
The Jaguars opened the 2024 campaign with four straight losses and never recovered. To make matters worse, star quarterback Trevor Lawrence missed time with a shoulder injury before suffering a concussion in a Week 13 loss to the Houston Texans. In all, the 25-year-old appeared in just 10 games after being signed to a five-year, $275 million contract extension with $142 million guaranteed last offseason.
Jacksonville is certainly hoping that Coen will be able to maximize Lawrence’s talent and help the team return to playoff contention in 2025 and beyond. The Jaguars have the No. 5 pick in the 2025 NFL draft and will have the chance to add another impact player who could boost their chances of making it back to the postseason in Coen’s first year at the helm.
