After going 4-13 in 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars cleaned house. They hired Liam Coen and James Gladstone as their head coach and general manager, respectively, to oversee a rebuild. The duo made it clear that they were going to look for intangibly players to turn things around. These were players who are tough and love the game of football.
This approach made sense on paper. After all, who doesn't want players who try to be their best at what they do? In practice, though, it's a bit more challenging to stick to the process and find players who truly fit the team's philosophy. But against all odds, that's precisely what the Jags have done with Liam Coen and James Gladstone leading the way.
The Jaguars are taking on Liam Coen's personality
The Jags are 4-1 and coming off wins over the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. One big reason is their approach to acquiring players, but having Liam Coen lead the way has also played a massive role.
The Jaguars have suddenly turned into a gritty team under Liam Coen. They're now winning games they would've surely lost in the past. And that's the thing, they've been part of close contests against tough clubs but have found ways to come out on top.
Just recently, Lawrence was asked if the team has taken on its head coach's personality. He believes it has.
"Yeah, I think he's really brought a lot of energy, and I think the team is, for sure, taking on some of that, and just the way he carries himself," Lawrence told the media ahead of the Seahawks game (2:29 mark). "And you see you guys see him in the locker room and on the field, on the sideline. I mean, that passion, that energy, is contagious, and our team has bought into that, so yeah. I would definitely say so."
For his part, Coen doesn't necessarily think that the Jaguars have adopted his personality but most definitely believes that he's connected with some of the players because of how they're wired.
"It was weird because when I got here and had a lot of conversations with the guys, individually, there was a little bit of a chip on the shoulder and a little bit of a frustrated but eager mentality. And so I think that was pretty innate with some of the guys, where that's kind of been my approach in general, and where I coach, so that just naturally I think connected maybe with some of the guys, or I connected to them, because I felt that from them as well," Coen said.
"I was probably at my most calm the other night, anyway, and it was cool to see then Trevor, like, take over some of that. And you saw some of the swagger that he had after he made the throw to BT and Dyami And just, you just saw some confidence and grit and toughness that you want your teams to display, not because it's about my personality or me, it's more because I think that that helps have an edge, and ultimately, I do would like our team to have an edge."
That the Jaguars have become a tough team isn't surprising. When he was hired as the head coach, Coen said he wanted to have them play with a physical mindset. Fast forward to October, and they're tied with the Indianapolis Colts and the Buffalo Bills for the best record in the whole conference. Below are the head coach's remarks about the team's identity. They start at the 3:58 mark.
It looks like the Jaguars will enjoy sustain success with Liam Coen
The Jaguars made the playoffs in 2017 and 2022. But unlike those teams, the current incarnation is being built to have sustained success.
Doug Pederson and Doug Marrone only made the playoffs once in their respective tenures, and things quickly fell apart once they did. Liam Coen, for his part, was focused on putting together the best possible team he could rather than setting his sights on the playoffs.
Ultimately, one thing led to another, and the Jaguars are now in a position to make noise. Sure, it's early in Liam Coen's stint to tell how things will play out, but you can see his DNA all over the team.