On Wednesday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen reportedly agreed to a big extension with the Bucs, including a raise that would make him one of the highest-paid coordinators in the league. Coen had been a strong candidate in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coaching search, but reportedly pulled himself out of the running in order to stay in Tampa.
One day later, Coen has seemingly changed his mind.
The 39-year-old coordinator is meeting with the Jaguars in person for a second interview, per multiple reports. While Coen and the Buccaneers had agreed to the extension, the deal was not signed, and Coen is now in Jacksonville discussing a future as the team’s potential new head coach.
The fact that Coen’s renewed interest in the Jacksonville job comes one day after Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired general manager Trent Baalke may not be a coincidence. The Jags originally opted to keep Baalke, who went 25-43 in four seasons as GM, before changing course this week.
Bucs OC Liam Coen is interviewing a second time with the Jaguars for their HC position, per @Schultz_Report
Coen had previously decided to remain in Tampa but will reconsider after Jaguars parted ways with GM Trent Baalke. pic.twitter.com/4RN3HCOcNW
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 23, 2025
To make matters messier, Coen might be ghosting Tampa Bay altogether. The Bucs had not had any contact with Coen or his representation on Thursday, despite multiple attempts to reach him, per multiple reports.
Conflicting reports on whether Coen informed Tampa Bay of his travel to Jacksonville complicate things further. The Buccaneers reportedly say Coen did not tell them about his plans, while Coen reportedly says that he did inform Bucs head coach Todd Bowles about his intent to interview for the job.
Coen joined the Buccaneers organization this past season and instantly gained recognition for his work with Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield. He turned the Bucs’ offensive production around in one season, turning the team into the No. 3 overall offense in the league during the regular season. Tampa Bay advanced to the playoffs, but lost to the Washington Commanders in a thrilling wild-card matchup.
The Jaguars have had a tough offseason so far, firing head coach Doug Pederson earlier this month after finishing 4-13. And the Baalke situation followed that.
Other than Coen, the other major candidate for the Jaguars was Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who had another interview planned for Friday. But those plans changed as well, with Saleh reportedly getting hired as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator instead.
