Who is Liam Coen? Everything you must know about the new Jaguars head coach

Although it wasn't always a smooth process, the Jacksonville Jaguars have found their next head coach.

Following the dismissal of Doug Pederson, they run an exhaustive search to find their replacement. Having general manager Trent Baalke around made the process a bit difficult, and once they realized that his presence was scaring away the best candidates, owner Shad Khan pulled the trigger and fired him. The decision immediately paid off.

Right after kicking Baalke to the curb, Jacksonville quickly began negotiations with Liam Coen to become their next head coach. Talks culminated with the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator getting the job.

So who is Liam Coen, and why did the Jaguars zeroed in on him to become their next head coach?

The Jaguars came impressed with Liam Coen in their first interview

The Jacksonville Jaguars put in several requests for interviews after firing Doug Pederson. Ben Johnson appeared to be the favorite for the vacancy, but there were other intriguing candidates, including Liam Coen.

Following the first round of interviews, Johnson chose the Chicago Bears, noting that Jacksonville didn't have the setup he needed to win. This was interpreted around the league as him not wanting to work with Trent Baalke. But despite losing out on the crown jewel of this hiring cycle, owner Shad Khan remained unmoved and kept the embattled general manager.

What Khan didn't anticipate was that Johnson wouldn't be the only candidate who would shun the Jaguars.

Coen's candidacy experienced a surge after his interview. The team's brass was impressed with his football knowledge and leadership skills. That's why they arranged a second meeting with him.

However, Coen wasn't thrilled about the prospect of working with Baalke and returned to Tampa Bay on a new deal that made him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL. That was the straw that broke the camel's back, and Khan at last moved on from Baalke. It was then that things took a turn for the better.

Coen had agreed to the contract with the Bucs but hadn't signed. So he went back to talking to the Jaguars' brass. And that's how he got the job.

What are the Jaguars getting in Liam Coen?

A Rhode Island native, Liam Coen was a quarterback at UMass from 2004-2008. He began his coaching career at Brown and spent time at UMass, Rhode Island and Maine before making the leap to the pros in 2018. That year, Sean McVay hired him as an assistant wide receivers coach with the Los Angeles Rams.

Coen spent a handful of years under McVay's tutelage and bolted for Kentucky to become their offensive coordinator in 2021. He returned to Los Angeles the following year and once again went back to UK in 2023. Until then, the young coach wasn't on many people's radars.

It wasn't until Coen became the offensive coordinator in 2024 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he earned the national spotlight. His predecessor, Dave Canales did a fine job. In fact, he earned the head coaching job with the Carolina Panthers because of his work with the Bucs.

But as good as the Buccaneers offense was under Canales, Coen was the one who took it to the next level. Tampa Bay had the worst rushing attack in the league in 2023, but they improved to fourth in total rushing yards and 14th in rushing touchdowns last season.

Similarly, Baker Mayfield had a career year, setting personal records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percent rate, and touchdown percent rate. That was in part thanks to Coen's tutelage. Fast forward to 2025, and he's now the head coach for the Jaguars.

In Jacksonville, Coen has his work cut out. He'll need to fix a team that is coming off two consecutive losing seasons and has made the playoffs just twice in nearly 20 years. Working in his favor is that he has a talented quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, and enough draft picks to address the team's needs.

Moreover, Trent Baalke is gone, so it's easy to see why Liam Coen took the job and is in a position to steer the ship in the right direction.

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