JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen has knowledgeable the crew of his intention to change into the pinnacle coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars in a twist that included him initially backing out of the interview pool, however then reconsidering the job after normal supervisor Trent Baalke’s exit.
All of it got here collectively in a two-day span that began Wednesday with Coen declining an in-person interview and accepting a contract extension and a elevate from the Buccaneers that will have made him the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator, sources beforehand instructed ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Then, when the Jaguars and Baalke parted methods later that day, the crew known as Coen and requested him to rethink, in response to sources accustomed to the pinnacle teaching search. Coen agreed to return to Jacksonville on Thursday afternoon.
Negotiations continued late into the night, sources instructed ESPN, and late Thursday evening Coen knowledgeable the Buccaneers he was taking the Jacksonville job.
The expectations for the brand new head coach are prolonged. Coen will likely be taking on a crew that completed 4-13 and final within the AFC South, underperforming in almost each space.
The franchise, which is on its fourth head coach in six years, wants stability.
Taking a better look, NFL Nation reporters Michael DiRocco and Jenna Laine reply 4 massive questions in regards to the Coen hiring, together with what comes subsequent. Nationwide reporter Dan Graziano dishes on what he is listening to in regards to the rent, and draft analyst Matt Miller spins it ahead to the draft. Lastly, analyst Ben Solak grades the rent.
What sort of coach are the Jags getting in Coen?
Coen spent 4 seasons beneath Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams and credit McVay for his understanding of defenses and the “whys” of playcalling within the run recreation. He bounced forwards and backwards between the Rams and the College of Kentucky as a result of he needed autonomy as a playcaller but in addition needed to teach within the NFL.
He helped quarterback Baker Mayfield (with whom he labored briefly in L.A.) to a career-best 41 landing passes in 2024 after throwing 28 the earlier season. The Buccaneers scored 28.6 offensive factors per recreation — the third highest in franchise historical past, behind 2020 and 2021 with Tom Brady.
“Liam has achieved an unbelievable job,” Mayfield stated. “The affect he is had all through all the blokes, instructing the sport of soccer. … [He’s] instructing the small print of why we’re doing sure issues, why we’ve got sure performs alerted or canned, no matter you wish to name it. He does an excellent job of that after which calling the performs to his gamers’ strengths, that is what good [offensive coordinators] do and he is achieved an unbelievable job of that.”
Coen’s philosophy is to make sure the quarterback by no means feels handcuffed on the line of scrimmage and all the time has options. He was in a position to adapt his scheme to what the Bucs had primarily based on personnel, but in addition with accidents to high receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. — Laine
What makes Coen proper for the Jaguars’ offense?
The hope is Coen will help quarterback Trevor Lawrence shake off what has been plaguing him for the reason that finish of the 2023 season. Coen had a huge impact on Mayfield in 2024 — who set profession highs in makes an attempt, completions, completion share, passing yards and TDs — however that should not overshadow what he did with the Bucs’ run recreation.
He helped the Bucs go from the league’s worst statistical dashing crew, averaging 88.8 yards on the bottom in 2023 to the fourth greatest, averaging 149.2 yards. The advance got here even with three of the identical starters on the offensive line, a rookie middle and rookie operating again Bucky Irving to enhance Rachaad White. It additionally helped offset the accidents to Godwin and Evans and performed a task in Mayfield’s efficiency.
The Jaguars have not had any consistency within the run recreation the previous two seasons and the offense has been virtually completely depending on Lawrence. The Jaguars have averaged 99.3 dashing yards over the previous two seasons — twenty eighth within the NFL — after dashing for 124.5 yards in 2022. They’ve a operating again duo of Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby.
The Jaguars want extra stability within the offense and the Bucs have been the one crew within the NFL to complete within the high 5 in passing and dashing in 2024. Coen needs to be a welcome jolt. — DiRocco
Was firing Baalke the deciding think about getting Coen?
Baalke’s presence was one among a number of causes Coen initially declined to make his scheduled in-person interview in Jacksonville on Wednesday, in response to a league supply — nevertheless it was not the primary cause. Coen’s determination to initially pull out embarrassed the Jaguars and was the ultimate nudge for proprietor Shad Khan and Baalke to half methods.
Khan retained Baalke when he fired Doug Pederson on Jan. 6, and stated that afternoon a whole organizational overhaul could be “suicide.” He stated that if any teaching candidate expressed reservations in regards to the Jaguars’ organizational construction or working with Baalke he could be keen to handle the subject.
Via this course of, Khan most well-liked to rent a younger, offense-minded head coach to work with Lawrence, the supply stated.
Coen gave the impression to be the front-runner for the job as soon as former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson accepted the Chicago Bears’ job Monday. — DiRocco
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McAfee wonders if Trent Baalke was impeding Jags’ coach search
Pat McAfee reacts to information that Trent Baalke will not be the final supervisor for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
What’s the very first thing Coen should do?
If he will name performs as a head coach — which is the belief — his No. 1 precedence needs to be hiring his offensive line coach. That unit has struggled within the run recreation the previous two seasons, particularly within the center. The Jaguars ranked thirty first in common yards earlier than first contact per rush (2.15) and thirtieth in complete dashing yards earlier than first contact (1,867) from 2023-24, per ESPN Analysis.
In Coen’s lone season in Tampa Bay, the Bucs averaged 3.0 yards per rush earlier than first contact (sixth within the NFL) and seventh with 1,448 complete dashing yards earlier than first contact. The Bucs had almost as many complete dashing yards earlier than first contact in 2024 than the Jaguars did up to now two seasons on 384 fewer carries.
Coen cannot deliver the Bucs’ line with him so he will want somebody who can flip a Jaguars unit that’s constructed with an emphasis on athleticism right into a extra bodily and straight-ahead energy group. — DiRocco
What are you listening to across the league on the rent?
This one is wild, if just for the way in which it went down. Individuals I am speaking to are in shock that the Jaguars went forward and fired Baalke, and that they apparently did it as a result of they believed Coen would not go there in any other case. That is the second hiring cycle for Jacksonville wherein we have heard chatter about candidates not wanting the job due to Baalke. The Jaguars ended up with Pederson final time, who was positive with the concept of working with Baalke. However this time they apparently felt he was too massive an obstacle for them to get their man.
As for Coen, there’s lots of respect across the league for what he did in a single season with the Tampa Bay offense. And his background with McVay’s Rams is an enormous promoting level. However he has achieved a ton of bouncing round between jobs in recent times — Rams from 2018 to 2020, Kentucky in 2021, again to the Rams for 2022, again to Kentucky for 2023 after which to the Bucs in 2024. Some folks discover that side a bit odd, and the knowledge that is popping out about how he ghosted the Buccaneers on Wednesday and Thursday after the Baalke firing would not make him look nice.
However the Jags weren’t the one crew. And once more, Coen is revered across the league for his offensive scheme and his capacity to teach it. He was a part of getting Mayfield’s profession again on monitor when the veteran QB completed the 2022 season with the Rams (after which he after all continued the success Dave Canales had with Mayfield in 2023 when he acquired to Tampa Bay this previous season). So possibly he is the fitting man to get Lawrence again on monitor. — Graziano
How can Coen enhance this offense on the draft?
With the No. 5 decide within the first spherical, the Jaguars could have choices for Coen as he seems to construct a greater offense. The previous regime hit on Brian Thomas Jr. at large receiver, and the return of a wholesome Lawrence will likely be large in bettering the crew’s scoring capacity. But when that is not sufficient, that fifth decide is a good spot to spend money on offensive assist.
Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter might nonetheless be on the board, and he would instantly enhance the go recreation catching passes from Lawrence (whereas additionally serving to the Jags at nook on protection). Ought to Hunter be gone, 6-foot-5 wideout Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona) could be an superior complement to Thomas’ deep-threat velocity together with his capacity to assault the ball in 50-50 conditions.
The offensive line appears set with bookend tackles Walker Little and Anton Harrison, however the inside could possibly be addressed with Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas) or Will Campbell (LSU) making a transfer inside to protect. The No. 5 decide is wealthy for a guard, although, and I count on Jacksonville to handle that place within the later rounds.
Sure, defensive playmakers will even be on the board for Jacksonville, and the crew has big-time wants within the secondary. However with Coen taking the pinnacle teaching job and a brand new normal supervisor coming in, the crew may in the end favor the offense. In that case, McMillan is the transfer. — Miller
How would you grade this rent?
B-. The excellent news: The Jags acquired their man. Coen elevated the Buccaneers’ offense in 2024. He used all kinds of personnel, concerned and developed younger gamers (Bucky Irving, Jalen McMillan, Luke Goedeke), and used veteran gamers in contemporary methods. Moreover Ben Johnson, Coen was the recent offensive title in the marketplace.
The unhealthy information: The Jags, as a result of they’re the Jags, bungled this course of, and now Coen enters Jacksonville with the power to affect the rent of the following GM, which is lots of energy to offer a younger, comparatively untested coach. Hiring the offensive flavor-of-the-month can also be, whereas a defensible concept, typically dangerous. Coen has precisely 5 years of NFL teaching expertise and one yr of NFL playcalling expertise. It’s a skinny résumé, and accordingly an enormous leap. — Solak