Jan. 24 (UPI) — Just one day after committing to return as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator, Liam Coen reversed course and is expected to be named head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Sources initially told NFL Network, ESPN and The Athletic about Coen’s decision to stay with the Buccaneers before reporting Thursday about his final decision.
The Jaguars, who fired coach Doug Pederson on Jan. 6, fired general manager Trent Baalke on Wednesday. Jaguars owner Shad Khan said that move was made after the parties “arrived at the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interests to respectfully separate.”
Coen was among nearly a dozen candidates interviewed for the Jaguars job. Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who were hired by the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, respectively, also interviewed.
Coen, 39, will become one of the youngest coaches in the NFL, behind only the Seattle Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald (37), Johnson (38) and the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay (38). The former Buccaneers offensive coordinator previously held the same role at Kentucky, Maine and with McVay’s Rams.
Under Coen, the Buccaneers’ offense totaled the third-most yards and fourth-most points in the NFL in 2024. The aerial attack, led by quarterback Baker Mayfield, totaled the third-most passing yards and second-most passing scores. The Buccaneers also totaled the fourth-most rushing yards.
Coen also worked as a position coach and passing game coordinator at Brown, Rhode Island and UMass before his jump to the NFL.
He worked as the Rams’ assistant wide receivers coach from 2018 through 2019 and as their assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020. He served as Rams offensive coordinator in 2022, in between stints as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Kentucky in 2021 and 2023.
The Jaguars, who went 22-29 in three seasons under Pederson, hold the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They made the postseason just twice in the last 17 years.
