Why the Jaguars made Liam Coen their next head coach

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen has knowledgeable the workforce of his intention to develop into the top 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 may have made him the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator, sources beforehand informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Then, when the Jaguars and Baalke parted methods later that day, the workforce referred to as Coen and requested him to rethink, based on sources conversant in the top teaching search. Coen agreed to return to Jacksonville on Thursday afternoon.

Negotiations continued late into the night, sources informed 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 probably be taking on a workforce that completed 4-13 and final within the AFC South, underperforming in practically each space.

The franchise, which is on its fourth head coach in six years, wants stability.

Taking a more in-depth look, NFL Nation reporters Michael DiRocco and Jenna Laine reply 4 huge questions concerning the Coen hiring, together with what comes subsequent. Nationwide reporter Dan Graziano dishes on what he is listening to concerning 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 below Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams and credit McVay for his understanding of defenses and the “whys” of playcalling within the run sport. 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 educate 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 sport — the third highest in franchise historical past, behind 2020 and 2021 with Tom Brady.

“Liam has executed an unbelievable job,” Mayfield mentioned. “The affect he is had all through all the blokes, educating the sport of soccer. … [He’s] educating the main points of why we’re doing sure issues, why we’ve sure performs alerted or canned, no matter you wish to name it. He does an ideal job of that after which calling the performs to his gamers’ strengths, that is what good [offensive coordinators] do and he is executed 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 capable of adapt his scheme to what the Bucs had primarily based on personnel, but in addition with accidents to prime receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. — Laine

What makes Coen proper for the Jaguars’ offense?

The hope is Coen may also help quarterback Trevor Lawrence shake off what has been plaguing him for the reason that finish of the 2023 season. Coen had a big effect 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 sport.

He helped the Bucs go from the league’s worst statistical speeding workforce, averaging 88.8 yards on the bottom in 2023 to the fourth finest, averaging 149.2 yards. The advance got here even with three of the identical starters on the offensive line, a rookie heart and rookie working 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 sport the previous two seasons and the offense has been nearly fully depending on Lawrence. The Jaguars have averaged 99.3 speeding yards over the previous two seasons — twenty eighth within the NFL — after speeding for 124.5 yards in 2022. They’ve a working again duo of Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby.

The Jaguars want extra stability within the offense and the Bucs had been the one workforce within the NFL to complete within the prime 5 in passing and speeding in 2024. Coen must be a welcome jolt. — DiRocco

Was firing Baalke the deciding consider getting Coen?

Baalke’s presence was one in all a number of causes Coen initially declined to make his scheduled in-person interview in Jacksonville on Wednesday, based on a league supply — however it was not the primary motive. 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 mentioned that afternoon an entire organizational overhaul could be “suicide.” He mentioned that if any teaching candidate expressed reservations concerning the Jaguars’ organizational construction or working with Baalke he could be prepared to deal with the subject.

Via this course of, Khan most popular to rent a younger, offense-minded head coach to work with Lawrence, the supply mentioned.

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 overall 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 idea — his No. 1 precedence must be hiring his offensive line coach. That unit has struggled within the run sport 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 speeding 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 speeding yards earlier than first contact. The Bucs had practically as many complete speeding yards earlier than first contact in 2024 than the Jaguars did previously two seasons on 384 fewer carries.

Coen cannot convey 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 best way it went down. Folks 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 effective with the thought of working with Baalke. However this time they apparently felt he was too huge an obstacle for them to get their man.

As for Coen, there’s a whole lot 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 executed a ton of bouncing round between jobs lately — 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 data that is popping out about how he ghosted the Buccaneers on Wednesday and Thursday after the Baalke firing does not make him look nice.

However the Jags weren’t the one workforce. And once more, Coen is revered across the league for his offensive scheme and his capacity to educate it. He was a part of getting Mayfield’s profession again on observe when the veteran QB completed the 2022 season with the Rams (after which he in fact continued the success Dave Canales had with Mayfield in 2023 when he acquired to Tampa Bay this previous season). So perhaps he is the fitting man to get Lawrence again on observe. — 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 broad receiver, and the return of a wholesome Lawrence will probably be large in bettering the workforce’s scoring capacity. But when that is not sufficient, that fifth decide is a superb spot to put money into offensive assist.

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter may nonetheless be on the board, and he would instantly enhance the go sport 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 might 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 anticipate Jacksonville to deal with that place within the later rounds.

Sure, defensive playmakers may even be on the board for Jacksonville, and the workforce has big-time wants within the secondary. However with Coen taking the top teaching job and a brand new normal supervisor coming in, the workforce may finally 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. In addition to Ben Johnson, Coen was the new offensive title available on the market.

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 subsequent GM, which is a whole lot of energy to offer a younger, comparatively untested coach. Hiring the offensive flavor-of-the-month can be, whereas a defensible concept, usually dangerous. Coen has precisely 5 years of NFL teaching expertise and one 12 months of NFL playcalling expertise. It’s a skinny résumé, and accordingly an enormous leap. — Solak