The Jacksonville Jaguars can officially remove one name from their head coaching search.
On Wednesday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Liam Coen took himself out of the running for the Jaguars’ head coaching job. Coen’s decision coincides with signing a new contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that will make him one of the highest-paid coordinators in the NFL.
Coen, 39, had been scheduled for a second interview with the Jaguars before he opted to remain with the Bucs. The rising coordinator made a big impression across the league in his first year as Tampa’s OC. The Bucs finished the season ranked third in total offense (399.5 yards per game) and fourth in points scored (502 total points, 29.5 PPG).
With Coen calling the shots, quarterback Baker Mayfield had the best season of his career. Mayfield threw for 4,500 yards — his previous high was 4,044 — and set career marks in touchdowns (41) and completion percentage (71.4%).
Coen’s decision to remain with the Bucs is a blow to Jacksonville’s search but also a boon for Tampa. Following the 2023 season, Dave Canales — Tampa’s OC at the time — left the team to become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Replacing its offensive coordinator for a second offseason in a row would have been a difficult spot for Tampa to be in.
With Coen no longer an option for the Jags, the franchise is set to proceed with second interviews with two coaches — former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and Patrick Graham, the defensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. Doug Pederson, a Super Bowl-winning coach with the Eagles, was fired by Jacksonville following a 4-13 season. Pederson led the Jags to a playoff victory in 2022 following a 9-8 regular season and posted a 9-8 record in ’23, as well, before this year’s disaster.
