Jaguars fans are finally seeing the biggest difference under Liam Coen

Less than a year after hiring Liam Coen, the Jacksonville Jaguars have already turned the corner. Their 10 wins with three weeks to spare are the most they've had since 2017. On top of that, the Jags are in the front seat to clinch the AFC South.

Keep in mind that most of the players from last year's roster are still around. Yet, Jacksonville went 4-13 in 2024. This begs the question: What's been the difference under Coen, and why are the Jaguars winning with pretty much the same core that former general manager Trent Baalke built? A prominent beat writer came up with an obvious reason.

Liam Coen is doing a great job of coaching the Jaguars

John Shipley of Sports Illustrated talked about Montaric Brown's growth in 2025. He then took to social media to point out that coaching has made the biggest difference for the fourth-year cornerback and other players. Here's the skinny.

"My take is that, while the roster has been overhauled by close to 50%, the development of several former draft picks this year has shown that the #Jaguars biggest issues from 2023-2024 were coaching related as opposed to Trent Baalke related," Shipley wrote.

There's no denying that Anthony Campanile has been huge for Brown this season. His effort to build a rapport with players has certainly helped him get the most out of the defense. That said, it is Liam Coen who is setting the tone as the head coach.

Throughout his brief stint with the Jaguars, Coen has routinely backed up his players but hasn't been afraid to call them out when needed. He knows what buttons to push, and that's why several players are either breaking out or bouncing back after underwhelming seasons. The most obvious example is Trevor Lawrence, but he's far from the only one.

Running back Travis Etienne, offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen, linebacker Devin Lloyd, and Brown himself have played a huge role in the team's 10-4 record.

The Jaguars got it right with Liam Coen

Not long ago, Liam Coen credited players for the team's success. And he's kind of right. You need game-changers to win football games. That said, coaching does matter, and there's a night-and-day difference between the Jaguars now and last year.

Nobody will deny that Doug Pederson helped the Jags heal from the Doug Pederson era, but once he stopped innovating and having an active role in coaching the team, it all came to a screeching halt. With Coen at the helm, though, Jacksonville is playing up to its talent level.

Just recently, Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report highlighted Coen's success by giving an A for his work with the Jags, citing his energy and demand for accountability as two of the reasons (aside from his winning record).

Of course, Liam Coen is just getting started, and he'll next need to show that he can enjoy sustained success with the Jaguars. For the time being, you can't argue with the results.