The Jacksonville Jaguars have set their sights on Ben Johnson throughout their search for a new head coach after dismissing Doug Pederson. However, the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator is far from the only candidate who's gotten serious consideration for the vacancy. Colleague Aaron Glenn also appears to be a realistic choice. Moreover, the Jags were impressed with a coach who hit it out of the ballpark in his interview.
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated reports that Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen was "nothing short of outstanding in his interview", citing a conversation he had with an NFL executive.
Shipley goes on to say that Coen's knowledge of football goes beyond his side of the ball and has what it takes to be a leader of a team.
"His knowledge of the game, both offensively and defensively, was eye-opening, as well as his handles on the responsibilities and how he would lead a franchise."
Later in his article, Shipley points out that Jacksonville can hire Coen at any time since the Bucs have already been eliminated from playoff contention. On the other hand, they would have to wait for either Glenn or Johnson until Detroit loses in the postseason (or wins the Super Bowl). That
Not long ago, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media broke the news that Johnson and Glenn appeared to be the frontrunners for the Jaguars job. Similarly, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reported that former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh is well-liked in Jacksonville and may have a leg up in the race.
The truth is that all four of them are intriguing candidates. You can ask four different people and they would rank all of them in a different way. Still, it's noteworthy that there's a real buzz about Coen potentially becoming the Jaguars' next head coach. Granted, there are other candidates for the job, but they aren't generating nearly as much hype.
The latest report bodes for Liam Coen's chances of getting the Jaguars job
Liam Coen was the betting favorite early in the Jaguars' coaching search. However, there have been several twists in the last few days, and there will probably be a handful more. For instance, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Chicago Bears are also making a run for Ben Johnson. Meanwhile, Aaron Glenn is a candidate for both the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets.
For the sake of the argument, let's say that the Jags aren't able to land either Johnson or Glenn, Coen would be far from a consolation prize. Evan Closky of WTSP describes the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator as a creative playcaller who'll demand the best from his players. That would come in handy for a Jacksonville team that lacked discipline last year.
Add John Shipley's latest scoop about Coen, and the Jags wouldn't be getting just an Xs & Os guy who doesn't know much beyond his side on the ball but rather the leader of man that they need to steer the ship in the right direction and turn the team into a perennial contender.