On Wednesday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen reportedly agreed to a big extension with the Bucs, including a raise that would make him one of the highest-paid coordinators in the league. Coen had been a strong candidate in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coaching search, but reportedly pulled himself out of the running in order to stay in Tampa.
One day later, Coen changed his mind.
Coen, 39, informed the Bucs he’ll now be taking the Jaguars’ top coaching job, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine and Adam Schefter. While Coen and the Buccaneers had agreed to the extension, the deal was not signed, and Coen traveled to Jacksonville to close a deal to become the team’s potential new head coach.
The Jaguars made things official on Friday with a statement from owner Shad Khan.
“I am deeply committed to building a winner here in Jacksonville. I also believe in being judged by actions, not words. That’s why I took swift and decisive action this week to hire Liam Coen as the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars,” Khan wrote.
The fact that Coen’s renewed interest in the Jacksonville job came one day after Khan fired general manager Trent Baalke may not be a coincidence. The Jags originally opted to keep Baalke, who went 25-43 in four seasons as GM, before changing course this week.
Earlier Thursday, multiple reports indicated the Bucs had not had any contact with Coen or his representation, despite multiple attempts to reach him.
Conflicting reports on whether Coen informed Tampa Bay of his travel to Jacksonville complicated things further. The Buccaneers reportedly claimed Coen did not tell them about his plans, while Coen reportedly said he did inform Bucs head coach Todd Bowles about his intent to interview for the job.
Coen joined the Buccaneers this past season and instantly gained recognition for his work with Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield. He helped lead the Bucs into the No. 3 overall offense in the league this season. Tampa Bay advanced to the playoffs, but lost to the Washington Commanders in a thrilling wild-card matchup.
The Jaguars have had a tough offseason so far, firing head coach Doug Pederson earlier this month after finishing 4-13. And the Baalke situation followed that.
Other than Coen, the other major candidate for the Jaguars was former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who is now reportedly headed back to San Francisco as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator instead.
The move marks a transition from the failed Pederson era and the fourth Jaguars head coach since they drafted quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
