Liam Coen did a 180 regarding the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach job. There seems to be a clear reason why.
Coen was in Jacksonville, Fla., on Thursday working on a deal to become the Jaguars’ head coach. A day earlier, Coen had taken himself out of the running for the job. He reportedly had reached a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to return as their offensive coordinator.
The reason for Coen’s apparent change in heart has to do with a change in the front office.
After being turned down by Coen, the Jags fired general manager Trent Baalke. That led Coen to reconsider the position.
A dramatic turn: Liam Coen informed the #Jaguars on Wednesday he was staying in Tampa as OC on a new contract. But after the firing of GM Trent Baalke, the Jags reached out to see if Coen would reconsider. Now, Coen is in Jacksonville and appears to be headed towards a deal. pic.twitter.com/zvwTeNOlLX
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 23, 2025
Plot twist: Sources say #Buccaneers OC Liam Coen is interviewing a second time with the #Jaguars for their head coaching position — this time in Jacksonville.
Coen had previously elected to remain in Tampa, but reconsidered after GM Trent Baalke was fired. A wild turn of events. pic.twitter.com/THL2qD7TW2
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 23, 2025
Though the Jaguars had fired head coach Doug Pederson after their 4-13 season, Baalke had remained in his position as GM. Many people were surprised that Baalke had survived, but Jacksonville’s owners apparently reconsidered matters upon being turned down by Coen.
Baalke had been with the Jaguars since 2020. He previously served as the San Francisco 49ers’ GM from 2011-2016 and won a power struggle with Jim Harbaugh, who was let go by the team. This time around, it was Baalke being let go.
