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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Paul Bretl

BREAKING: Liam Coen expected to be next Jaguars head coach

It’s been a pretty wild few days for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but according to Adam Schefter, they’ve found their next head coach in now former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen.

While not yet official, Coen has told the Bucs that he plans to take the Jaguars head coaching job.

Once Ben Johnson decided to head to Chicago, Coen was presumably the overwhelming favorite to become the Jaguars’ next head coach and was one of three candidates–along with Patrick Graham and Robert Saleh–who had a second interview scheduled.

However, in a twist, Coen withdrew his name from contention on Wednesday morning to stay with the Bucs and get a pay raise, which would have made him one of the highest-paid coordinators in the NFL–although that amount was still far less than what a head coach would make.

Coen taking himself out of the running was the tipping point for owner Shad Khan, who on Wednesday afternoon, moved on from general manager Trent Baalke.

This was a move that many assumed was coming after the regular season, but once that didn’t happen initially, the general thought was that filling the head coaching role in Jacksonville wasn’t going to be an easy task, given Baalke’s history. And that’s exactly how things unfolded.

Then, not coincidentally, once Baalke was fired, Coen took that second interview with the team before signing his new contract with the Bucs, following a full court press by Khan to reengage with the offensive play-caller.

The 2024 season was Coen’s first with the Buccaneers as the offensive coordinator and it was a resounding success. Along with Tampa Bay making the playoffs, they were the only offense in football to rank top-five in scoring, passing yards per game, and rushing yards per game.

Now with Coen as the head coach, the next step for the Jaguars is to find their general manager.

(This article was updated to provide additional information.)

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