The Jacksonville Jaguars will no longer have to entertain rumors linking them to Bill Belichick after he took the North Carolina job. However, they might still need to replace Doug Pederson next year. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will be the most coveted head-coaching candidate in the next hiring cycle. The Jags would surely love to land him, but they could also set their sights on Liam Coen, who would not be a consolation prize. Far from it.
Coen joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024, and he's turned them into an offensive juggernaut. As Austin Gayle of The Ringer points out, they're sixth in the league in EPA/play and success rate. Moreover, they're second in the percent of plays going for 10 yards or more, meaning that they consistently gain yards in big chunks.
That they've done it without Chris Godwin and Mike Evan at different points of the season goes on to show just how effective Coen has been as the Tampa Bay offensive coordinator.
Liam Coen is 3rd on my head coach candidates list behind Ben Johnson and Vabel right now.
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) December 16, 2024
The Bucs have a top-six offense in EPA/play and success rate; they rank 2nd in % of plays going for 10+ yards. That's with Chris Godwin out for half the season and Mike Evans missing four…
But wait, there's more. The Buccaneers offense put together their best performance of the season when they scored 40 points against the stout Los Angeles Chargers defense in Week 15. Before facing Tampa Bay, the Bolts had allowed more than 20 points just twice twice season and never more than 30. In fact, they were giving up just 15.9 points per game, but Coen wasn't fazed.
If that wasn't enough, Scott Reynold of Pewter Report points out that the Bucs are the only team with eight 400-yard games this season and one of three with multiple 500-yard performances (two). Similarly, Reynold notes that Coen has been a massive improvement over his predecessor, Dave Canales, who bolted for the Carolina Panthers to become their head coach earlier this year.
Keep in mind that Canales had most of the same offensive core but Coen has been able to take it to the next level.
Why the Jacksonville Jaguars must hire Liam Coen to replace Doug Pederson
It's not a given that the Jacksonville Jaguars will dismiss Doug Pederson, but things are trending in that direction, especially after the pathetic 32-25 loss to the New York Jets in Week 14. While they would be better off giving him the boot right now, so they can get a head start in the search for his replacement, they'll likely wait until the season is over to begin the process.
As noted before, Ben Johnson will be the crown jewel of the next hiring cycle, but Liam Coen is steadily gaining more notoriety across the league. Heck, it wouldn't be shocking if he has a bigger market than either Mike Vrabel or Kliff Kingsbury, and like Johnson, Coen should be at the top of the Jacksonville Jaguars' wish list.
In Duval, Coen would have more than enough talent to work with, starting with franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He could build an elite scoring offensive with players such as Tank Bigsby, Travis Etienne, Brian Thomas Jr., Evan Engram, and Parker Washington. Moreover, the Jags will have ample cap space and plenty of draft picks, which would allow him to steer the ship in the right direction right off the bat.
The bottom line is that Liam Coen will be an intriguing head-coaching candidate who shouldn't fly under the Jaguars' radar next year.