Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen told the team on Thursday night that he was leaving to become the coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, a source told ESPN’s Jenna Laine.
The two sides verbally agreed on a contract overnight, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
This decision came after two days of back and forth. Coen first removed himself from consideration for the Jaguars job, then agreed to a contract extension with the Buccaneers that would have made him the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator.
However, he changed his mind after Jacksonville reached out to ask him to reconsider following the departure of their general manager, Trent Baalke, on Wednesday afternoon.
On Thursday afternoon, Coen traveled to Jacksonville and met with owner Shad Khan and interim general manager Ethan Waugh. A source told Laine that Coen contacted Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles earlier that night to inform him of his renewed interest in the Jaguars job, but Coen did not speak with anyone else in the Buccaneers’ front office.
The Jaguars had interviewed Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham earlier Thursday and had a scheduled interview with former New York Jets coach Robert Saleh on Friday. A league source said they hoped to reconnect with Coen after Baalke’s departure, but they were prepared to search further if Coen declined.
While Coen’s decision to initially remove himself from consideration was partly due to an unwillingness to work with Baalke, it was not the main reason, according to the source.
Coen was one of 10 candidates the Jaguars interviewed, with their first discussions taking place virtually on January 15. He will be the eighth head coach in Jaguars history, replacing Doug Pederson, who was fired on January 6 after three seasons.
At 39, Coen will become the fourth-youngest active head coach in the NFL, behind Mike Macdonald (37) of the Seattle Seahawks, Ben Johnson (38) of the Chicago Bears, and Sean McVay (38) of the Los Angeles Rams.
Coen has spent 15 years as an assistant coach, including 10 at the college level. He spent four seasons with the Rams under McVay, working as an assistant wide receivers coach, assistant quarterbacks coach, and offensive coordinator in 2022. Most recently, he worked as the offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers under Bowles.
Coen was hired by Tampa Bay to replace Dave Canales, who left the Bucs to become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. This brought Coen back together with quarterback Baker Mayfield, whom Coen had coached with the Rams in 2022. The two worked together to form one of the best offenses in Buccaneers history.
Mayfield has a franchise record
Mayfield set a franchise record with a passer rating of 106.8, and the Buccaneers were the only team in the NFL to rank in the top five in both passing yards per game (250.4) and rushing yards per game (149.2). The Bucs also ranked in the top five in total offense (399.6 yards per game), scoring (29.5 points per game), third-down conversions (a league-high 50.9%), and red zone efficiency (66.7%).
The Bucs’ offense showed significant improvement in Coen’s first season compared to 2023:
- 2023: 20.5 points per game, 313 yards per game, 89 rushing yards per game
- 2024: 29.5 points per game, 400 yards per game, 149 rushing yards per game
Additionally, Mayfield had career highs in passing yards (4,500), passing touchdowns (41), and completion percentage (71.4%), ranking in the top three in each of those categories.
The Rams’ offense struggled in 2022 due to injuries, particularly to quarterback Matthew Stafford, who missed eight games. Los Angeles started four different quarterbacks that season and finished last in total offense (280.5 yards per game) and near the bottom in several other categories.
Coen spent 10 years as a college assistant, including two separate stints as Kentucky’s offensive coordinator in 2021 and 2023.
This hire is crucial for Jaguars owner Shad Khan as he seeks long-term stability for franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence will have his third full-time coach and fourth playcaller in five seasons in the NFL.
The Jaguars had a tough 2024 season, finishing with a 4-13 record. This marked the 10th time in Khan’s 13 seasons as owner that his team posted double-digit losses.
