It took just one season for Liam Coen to validate the Jaguars’ decision

After the Jacksonville Jaguars finished 4-13 in 2024, they wasted no time ousting head coach Doug Pederson. However, they seemingly wanted to hold onto general manager Trent Baalke despite the fact that he also played a role in their underwhelming record.

In the end, though, the Jags changed their mind and ended up firing Baalke when they saw that Liam Coen, the top candidate for their head-coaching vacancy, was about to turn down the job. Not long after cutting ties with the embattled general manager, Coen went back and became their head coach, ushering in a new era in Duval. One year later, it's fair to say that the organization made the right call.

Firing Trent Baalke paved the way for the Jaguars to hire Liam Coen

Trent Baalke wasn't necessarily dreadful at his job, but he wasn't great either. He did have several hits, but his blunders were simply too many. But leaving aside his track record, he was seen across the league as someone who is difficult to work with. That apparently was a turnoff for several candidates, including Liam Coen.

In the end, owner Shad Khan had to choose between keeping the general manager he trusted or missing out on hiring an ascending offensive mind. He opted for Coen, and he rewarded Jacksonville with its most successful season in 20 years.

In Coen's first season at the helm, the Jags racked up 13 wins, the most they had since 1999. They seize the division for the first time in three seasons, and are on the verge of making a deep playoff push. On top of that, Trevor Lawrence is once again playing like a top-10 quarterback after regressing the season prior. Similarly, other players who underachieved under the past regime (linebacker Devin Lloyd, safety Antonio Johnson, among others) turned the corner in 2025.

But wait, there's more! Coen has molded Jacksonville into a gritty team that won't throw in the towel even if things aren't going great. That feisty mentality was missing in prior years, but not anymore.

The Jaguars wouldn't have turned things around with Trent Baalke around

However you look at it, hiring Liam Coen has been a resounding success, so imagine if the Jaguars had retained Trent Baalke. They would have to settle with a candidate who wasn't well-equipped to handle the job, and there's a strong chance that Jacksonville would be watching the playoffs from home.

Furthermore, James Gladstone wouldn't have become the general manager, and all those changes he made to address the larger scale roster wouldn't have taken place. Sure, he has had a few blunders, but he's found a way to overcome them. For instance, instead of doubling down on the Dyami Brown signing, he cut his losses and traded for Jakobi Meyers at the deadline. Baalke wouldn't have made a similar kind of move.

Circling back to Liam Coen, everything that's happening in Duval is happening because the Jaguars decided to kick Trent Baalke to the curb. And one year later, nobody would bat an eye if Shad Khan is patting himself on the back for getting the hire right.