Bucs' Liam Coen reverses course, back in head coach talks with Jaguars

Rick Stroud, Tampa Bay Times on Jan 23, 2025

Published in Football

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TAMPA, Fla. — One day after withdrawing his name from consideration for the Jaguars' head coaching job to remain in Tampa Bay as one of the league’s highest paid offensive coordinators, Liam Coen has become the Bucs' latest runaway bride.

Coen secretly flew to Jacksonville to meet with Jaguars owner Shad Khan, and the two sides were working on a deal to make him their next head coach, the Tampa Bay Times has confirmed.

It was a stunning reversal and one that left the Bucs furious with Coen. The team had not heard from Coen since Wednesday afternoon until he finally reached out to head coach Todd Bowles around 5 p.m. Thursday and said he had been with his son at a medical appointment. He mentioned the Jaguars situation only briefly, saying he wanted to look back into it.

Coen, 39, had agreed Wednesday on a rich new contract to remain with the Bucs, a contract worth approximately $4.5 million a year.

But by mid-afternoon Wednesday, Khan announced that he had fired general manager Trent Baalke, apparently an impediment to getting a deal done with Coen.

Coen’s change of heart puts the Bucs in the unenviable position of having to hire their fourth offensive coordinator in as many years under Bowles.

They also potentially have lost two defensive assistants to the Lions. Co-defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers is headed to Detroit as its defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Larry Foote will interview for the Lions’ defensive coordinator position.

The Bucs expected Coen would sign his new deal Thursday and were tentatively making preparations for him to be available to media.

They were excited about building on the success they had under Coen, who dramatically improved the offense in his first season as a playcaller in the NFL.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield set career marks with 4,500 yards passing and 41 touchdowns while completing 71% of his passes.

The run game, which had been 32nd in the league the previous two seasons, finished fifth in 2024, averaging 146.5 yards per game.

The Bucs improved from 23rd (313 yards per game) in 2023 to third (399.5) in total offense and averaged 29.5 points, fourth best in the NFL.

Coen would be the second Bucs offensive coordinator in as many years to become a head coach in the NFL after only one season in Tampa Bay.

Dave Canales, who had never called plays in college or the NFL until 2023, was named the Panthers' head coach in January 2024.

This is not the first time the Bucs have been left at the altar.

Bill Parcells agreed to become the Bucs head coach twice, in 1991 and again in 2002.

The Bucs recovered in 2002 by trading two first-round picks, two second-round picks and $8 million to the Raiders for Jon Gruden. Ironically, Gruden went on to beat his former team in Super Bowl 37.

In 2012, Chip Kelly agreed to leave Oregon to coach the Bucs but changed his mind after midnight to remain with the Ducks.