JACKSONVILLE, Florida, USA (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars hired Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, as the eighth head coach in franchise history on Friday, culminating a covert operation that included owner Shad Khan firing general manager Trent Baalke and Coen changing his mind with the Buccaneers.
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The parties finalized the contract details one day after Coen called Bucs coach Todd Bowles and others to tell them he planned to sign with Jacksonville.
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“To reiterate my message from earlier this week, I am deeply committed to building a winning team here in Jacksonville,” Khan said in a statement. “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.”
This will be remembered as one of the wildest coaching searches in NFL history.
This is how the Jaguars hired Coen
Khan unexpectedly fired Baalke on Wednesday to clear the way for Coen to arrive in Jacksonville.
Coen initially turned down an in-person interview with the Jaguars because Baalke, 60, has a less-than-ideal reputation in league circles and convinced Khan to fire Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson after his third season in Jacksonville.
Coen had agreed to a new three-year contract with Tampa Bay that would have made him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL, but it was conditioned on him not accepting a second interview with the Jags. However, he never showed up to sign the agreement — leaving his Tampa colleagues waiting for hours — and secretly traveled to Jacksonville to meet with Khan, interim general manager Ethan Waugh, Hall of Fame left tackle Tony Boselli, and others on Thursday.
Khan was impressed with Coen's interview last week and seemed to be the owner's top choice, especially after Detroit's offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, accepted the job in Chicago.
But Baalke was an obstacle, one that Khan realized he needed to remove to secure an emerging offensive mind to pair with promising quarterback Trevor Lawrence and standout receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for the foreseeable future. And anyone questioning Khan's commitment to winning in Jacksonville should look at his behind-the-scenes efforts to secure Coen.
Khan said earlier this month that he wanted a head coach who would bring more creativity to Jacksonville, stating "being unpredictable is, I believe, modern football, and we have to be able to demonstrate that on the field."
Coen, 39, was the architect of one of the most productive offenses in Tampa Bay's history in 2024. The Buccaneers ranked third in the NFL in yards (399.6 per game) and fourth in points (29.5).
It was so impressive with veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield and rookie running back Bucky Irving this season that even die-hard Bucs fans suggested moving 61-year-old Bowles to another role and handing the reins to Coen to keep him in Tampa.