New Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen was introduced to the media on Monday. When he got to the lectern, he gave a hearty “DUUUUVAL” — the rallying cry at Jaguars home games.
It was a long trip from Tampa Bay to Jacksonville, but Coen got there eventually, and he might have sounded like a hypocrite when he introduced himself to his new home.
Fans React to Liam Coen Choosing Jacksonville Jaguars Over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Coen originally interviewed (virtually) with Jacksonville for its vacancy at head coach, which Tampa Bay supported as a learning experience. He earned a second interview with the Jaguars but decided to withdraw his name at the last moment.
The Jaguars still had general manager Trent Baalke making Coen’s decision difficult and the Buccaneers had a contract offer waiting — one that would make him an incredibly well-paid offensive coordinator.
However, in what seemed to be a last-ditch effort to save face, Jacksonville fired Baalke. Right on schedule, Coen interviewed again and negotiated his next contract.
Whether it’s Coen’s fault or a communication breakdown elsewhere, the Buccaneers weren’t aware of this development until it was too late. Tampa Bay couldn’t reach its (now former) offensive coordinator, and Coen had put pen to paper on becoming the next head coach of the Jaguars.
Liam Coen on how he’s planing on changing the Jaguars into a consistently winning culture:
“Communication” pic.twitter.com/aQ2vZsM6mJ
— The Pewter Plank (@ThePewterPlank) January 27, 2025
“That’s really what it’s going to come down to, honesty,” Coen said to Jacksonville’s First Coast News.
“I want to surround ourselves with people that are gonna be able to tell you are going to be able to tell you hard truths, be able to show you your blind spots, because that’s really where growth occurs when you can truly be yourself and be honest with looking in the mirror knowing that the process that got you there was clean and it was right and that the results will speak for themselves.”
I'm sure this soundbyte from Liam Coen will go over well in Tampa… pic.twitter.com/rx1rmZrayp
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) January 28, 2025
Coen spoke glowingly of the Buccaneers organization and his time in Tampa Bay. He said he was fortunate to get the opportunity to serve as the offensive coordinator. He said all the right things, despite the fact he did not do the right things before accepting the position in Duval County — at least in the eyes of Buccaneers fans.
“The opportunity to coach in Tampa was a phenomenal one to get my feet wet in the NFL as an offensive coordinator and I thank them so much for that opportunity,” Coen said. “As you continue to do more research and gain more information as you go, it started to become more clear with every hour that this was an opportunity that you just can’t pass up for so many different reasons.
“Ultimately, you want to do what is best for you and your family. That is what this came down to.
“I will always love and remember those guys in Tampa — my players, those guys, love them to death — but this is an opportunity to also go do it with new guys and go reach and touch people because that’s what coaching and teaching is and that’s what this opportunity is all about. Head and eyes up and moving forward.”
Coen reportedly would not accept the job unless Jacksonville fired Baalke. He dismissed that notion in his introductory press conference. However, Jacksonville did part ways in the hours before Coen signed on, an unsurprising development given his detrimental impact on the hiring cycle.
“This was completely about an opportunity to work for an owner and a group of people with a group of players that needed some help,” Coen said. “That is what coaching is. Coaching is all about going to help people and be around people. That (Baalke firing) was not a factor.”
Watched the Liam Coen presser to see if maybe it wasn’t as bad as some of the clips showed.
It was bad. He won’t make it through his contract. pic.twitter.com/oIXRU94W5c
— Let’s go Bears (@letsgochibears) January 28, 2025
Coen confirmed he will call the plays as the head coach and his next priority is going to be putting together a coaching staff. He believes the Jaguars are better than what their record of 4-13 shows. They are now two seasons removed from their AFC South title.
“This is not a four-win team,” Coen said. “Yes, that is the record (from last year) but this is not a four-win team. How do we go from winning games to not losing them? I think that is something we’ve got to address. That has to be in our veins, in our DNA, and in our culture of winning.
“I’ve learned it from the Los Angeles Rams and a ton of other great organizations of how to go win football games. That’s something we have to start as a team, as a group, and show how we are going to go do it.”
With Coen calling the shots, the Buccaneers finished the season with the NFL’s third-best offense by PFN’s Offense+ metric. Doing so without elite talent is an accomplishment in itself — one Jacksonville is happy to entertain and Tampa Bay could have a difficult time replacing.
