After initially interviewing with the Jacksonville Jaguars for their head coaching vacancy, it appeared that Liam Coen was returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to sign a new contract to remain the team’s offensive coordinator.
Now that no longer appears to be the case, with multiple reports stating Coen is once again negotiating with the Jaguars regarding their head coaching job.
What’s more is that, per reports, the Buccaneers haven’t been able to get in contact with Coen after initially agreeing on the contract extension that would make him one of the league’s highest paid assistant coaches.
“Liam Coen has reversed course and is on the verge of becoming the Jaguars head coach after telling the Bucs he was returning to Tampa Bay,” the Tampa Bay Times‘ Rick Stroud posted to X.
Stroud added: “Coen had not spoken to the Bucs since yesterday afternoon. They tried to reach him and have been unable to. Instead of signing his contract, which was a formality, he secretly traveled to Jacksonville to meet with Jags owner Shad Kahn.”
Liam Coen has reversed course and is on the verge of becoming the Jaguars head coach after telling the Bucs he was returning to Tampa Bay.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 23, 2025
Coen had not spoken to the Bucs since yesterday afternoon. They tried to reach him and have been unable to. Instead of signing his contract, which was a formality, he secretly traveled to Jacksonville to meet with Jags owner Shad Kahn.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 23, 2025
As for what might have caused Coen to reconsider, it’s worth noting that the Jaguars announced that they were firing general manager Trent Baalke on Wednesday. Jacksonville had previously remained committed to Baalke before reversing course itself.
After previously serving as the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2022 and University of Kentucky’s offensive coordinator in 2023, Coen emerged as a hot coaching candidate following his first season in the same role with Tampa Bay.
While a deal for the 39-year-old to become the Jaguars’ head coach has yet to be made official, all indications appear to be that there’s now a strong likelihood of a deal coming to fruition.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.