Following the 2024 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars were in a state of disarray. They had failed to make the playoffs in back-to-back years, and there weren't any signs they were getting better. Not surprisingly, they ousted head coach Doug Pederson. And to replace him, the Jags brougth in Liam Coen. At the time, the hire raised concerns, but he's proven to be everything they've bargained for and then some.
With Coen leading the way, Jacksonville became a gritty team, one that wasn't going to let itself get bullied. Like most first-time head coaches, he had a few rough stretches but ultimately proved that he was the right man for the job, leading the Jags to a 13-4 record and a division title.
In Year 2 of the Coen era, the Jaguars are poised to pick up where they left off. But surprisingly, Patrick Daugherty of NBC Sports doesn't think he deserves a spot among the best coaches in the NFL. At least not yet.
Jaguars' Liam Coen lands at No. 14 in the latest NFL coaching rankings
Patrick Daugherty ranked all 32 coaches ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft and had Liam Coen at No. 14, pointing out that it originally seemed like hiring him was a mistake, but he turned out to be the real deal.
"Paired with new GM James Gladstone's 'millennial word salad' - style of speech, Coen started off looking like the latest in a long line of failed Jaguars saviors," Daugherty wrote. "Then he got to saving them. Although that did not result in a postseason victory, Coen and company posted the club's highest winning percentage of the 21st century.
Dougherty continued, "Making the playoffs is the first goal for any NFL head coach, but for Coen, it was really just icing on the cake of his primary 2025 objective: Getting Trevor Lawrence's career back on track. The often tentative and scattershot would-be franchise player was a more believable roster cornerstone by season's end."
All things considered, Dougherty made a fair assessment of Coen's first year in Jacksonville, even if there was no reason to think that the organization made a mistake when it hired him. Sure, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren't thrilled that he stood them up after agreeing to stay as their offensive coordinator. Similarly, his lack of experience was seen as a negative, but all coaches have to start somewhere, right?
Furthermore, Coen impressed the Jaguars' brass with not only his knowledge of Xs and Os but his leadership skills, making it abundantly clear that he was the right choice for the job. This begs the question: if he had so much success in his first season, why did he get a "low" spot in the ranking?
All the coaches who got a higher spot than Coen are more accomplished. They've been on the job far longer and thus have enjoyed more success. The exception was Ben Johnson, who was also a rookie last year but won a playoff game with the Chicago Bears.
And that's the thing, more tenured coaches like DeMeco Ryans and Matt LaFleur ranked higher because they've routinely made the playoffs. With that said, you could argue that, at least coming off 2025, Dan Campbell didn't deserve to make the top 10 because the Detroit Lions failed to qualify for the postseason last year. The same is true for Kevin O'Connell and the Minnesota Vikings (No. 12).
The Jaguars have the right man in Liam Coen
You will be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't think the Jaguars hit it out of the ballpark with Liam Coen. Again, his hiring came with a bit of skepticism, but he showed his worth right off the bat. That Jacksonville was able to have success right away and become relevant speaks volume of his.
Granted, Coen didn't do it alone; James Gladstone did his part, fortifying an already talented roster with the pieces it needed.
Now, the duo will be tasked with proving that their success in 2025 wasn't an outlier but rather a sign of things to come. And if they do, it will be hard to keep them both out of the top 10 in NFL power rankings.