The Jacksonville Jaguars have pulled off quite an impressive feat. They have somehow managed to make a franchise with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, an owner that is willing to spend money, and a spot in the weakest division in football so unappealing it borders on radioactive. Trent Baalke is to thank for that.
After being turned down by new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson, all signs pointed to Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen standing out as the favorite to replace Doug Pederson as Jaguars head coach. Those dreams were dashed on Wednesday morning.
Coen agreed to a revised contract that will keep him in Tampa as the OC and de facto head coach in waiting if Todd Bowles retires. The Jaguars thought Coen was locked in, and they bungled this chance once again.
According to John Shipley, the Jaguars were "all-in" on Coen to the point where his rebuking of their overtures has sent this search "off the rails."
Mia O'Brien added that the Jaguars were "stunned" by this decision. Once again, the Jaguars have chosen Baalke over a qualified coach.
(I was in a meeting when the news broke but know this)
— Mia O'Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) January 22, 2025
1) From the moment Doug Pederson was fired and Trent Baalke was retained, there was trepidation from Liam Coen’s Camp.
2) The #Jaguars are stunned. Truly impressed with Coen in his first interview.
Jaguars losing Liam Coen after going "all-in" is all on Trent Baalke
Baalke's greatest strength is clearly not picking good players. Baalke is a survivor who knows exactly what to say to get rich, clueless owners on his side. In San Francisco, Baalke survived the Jim Harbaugh and Jim Tomsula firings before going down with Chip Kelly. Baalke has outlasted Pederson, Doug Marrone, and Urban Meyer in Jacksonville.
Losing on Byron Leftwich was one thing (especially since Pederson won a playoff game in Year 1), but this may be worse. Jacksonville went into the offseason knowing they wouldn't land the best candidates with Baalke, and both Johnson and Coen informed them as to why they didn't want to take this job. In all likelihood, Baalke will keep his job again in 2025.
The Jaguars will likely pivot to one of two defensive-minded head coaches in Raiders DC Patrick Graham and ex-Jets head coach Robert Saleh. Both of them may work out, but if the goal was to land an offensive coach to get the most out of Lawrence, they have failed due to Baalke's aura.
The Jaguars have no one but themselves to blame for this mess, as they could have cleanly parted with Baalke when Pederson was canned. Instead, they have let Baalke continue to stick around when any competent organization would have ripped that Band-Aid off long ago, and it cost them yet another quality offensive coach.