Hiring of Liam Coen gets glowing review from Jaguars veteran leader

When given the opportunity, Trevor Lawrence couldn't contain his excitement about having Liam Coen as his head coach. However, he's far from the only player who is thrilled that the Jacksonville Jaguars hired him to replace Doug Pederson. A veteran defensive leader also had a few things to say about his new coach, and all of them were good.

The same day No. 16 met with the local media, teammate Foyesade Oluokun also talked about Coen, noting that it's straightforward approach is great for the team.

"He's cool. I mean, like I said, these coaches got a great personality and a lot of good energy. So I think they're very direct. I think they're very relatable, but they always give it, they shoot it straight if that makes sense," Oluokun said when asked what he thinks of Coen. "So I'm excited to be around people like that because I don't like shying away from what needs to be said, what I need to do. But also, like, allows for a growth mindset."

Oluokun continued, "Like, if I feel like I'm seeing something I don't feel because it's so honest of a relationship between us, or it will be and go to them, say whatever, and they're really going to take that into account, but they're always mean... they always want the best for me because they want the best for the team. They're always going to relate exactly what they're meaning. So I'm excited to be around him."

Coen is certainly a breath of fresh air in Jacksonville. His approach is in direct contrast with his predecessor, Doug Pederson, who got poor grades in his NFLPA report card because he wasn't great at communicating ot taking feedback into account late in his stint wit the Jaguars.

Heck, Pederson, at one point in 2022, threw players under the bus to defend protegee Press Taylor. It's hard to see Coen doing something similar. Granted, he and the team are currently in a honeymoon period, and it will be interesting to see how he fares when things get tough. That said, his tenure in Duval is off to a strong start.

Why Liam Coen can steer the ship in the right direction

The Jacksonville Jaguars made the playoffs and won the AFC South in 2022, Doug Pederson's first year as the head coach. However, they progressively got worse the past two seasons, and there were no signs that he was going to turn things around. That's why his firing was inevitable. Of course, that was only the first part. The Jags needed an upgrade, someone who could get the most out of the team and enjoy sustained success at the helm. After an extensive search, they picked Liam Coen.

During his lone season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Coen turned their offense into a juggernaut. But aside from his coaching acumen, the Jaguars came impressed with his leadership skills when they had a chance to interview him. So far, he's put them on display.

Again, it's too early to tell how Liam Coen's tenure will play out, but players cannot stop speaking good things about his arrival and approach to leading a football team. If that carries over onto the football field, don't be surprised if the Jacksonville Jaguars exceed expectations in 2025.

Here are other Jaguars stories you may also like: