Liam Coen stepped out of consideration as a candidate to become head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars to remain offensive coordinator with Tampa Bay, according to multiple reports.
Coen, 39, was scheduled for a second interview with the Jaguars on Wednesday. But instead of the in-person huddle with Jacksonville’s leadership, he signed a new contract with the Buccaneers that will make him one of the highest-paid assistants in the NFL, per reports.
The value of the contract was not immediately known, but multiple offensive coordinators were in the $3 million range last season.
One day after the top offensive coordinator candidate — Lions play-caller Ben Johnson — was named head coach of the Chicago Bears, Coen was considered a top candidate to replace Doug Pederson in Jacksonville as the 2025 coaching carousel continues.
Coen teased the potential for his return after the Buccaneers’ season-ending loss to the Washington Commanders in the NFC wild-card round of the playoffs.
“I do believe I’m ready,” Coen said of whether it was time to become a head coach in the NFL. “I don’t think you’re ever truly fully ready. But yeah, that is a dream. Does that need to happen when I’m 39 years old and having probably the most fun of my life coaching, working and being here? No, that doesn’t mean that needs to occur right now. But yeah, that is the goal. That is absolutely the goal. But like I said before, that goal can hold off for a while here and continue to do what we’re doing. That would be pretty special.”
Johnson made a similar decision a year ago with the Lions competing for the NFC Championship. He opted to withdraw from consideration to become coach in Washington, where he was viewed as a prevailing favorite to be hired by the Commanders. The job went instead to Dan Quinn, who had declined multiple interviews in previous coaching cycles to remain a high-paid coordinator with the Cowboys.
Johnson, 38, was to be introduced formally at a press conference by the Bears on Wednesday morning.
Coen just completed his first season with the Buccaneers, who won the NFC South title at 10-7.
Jacksonville has other options and completed interviews with Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. The Jaguars announced Monday they would host Coen, Saleh and Graham in Jacksonville this week to meet face-to-face with owner Shad Khan and general manager Trent Baalke.
Tampa Bay averaged 29.5 points per game, fourth in the league in 2024. The Buccaneers ranked third in averaging 399.5 yards per game, third at 250.4 passing yards and fourth at 149.2 rushing yards. They led the league by making 50.9 percent of their third-down attempts (110 of 216). Their total of 395 first downs was second in the league.
Coen in recent years has bounced between the NFL and the University of Kentucky, where he was offensive coordinator in 2023 and 2021. He was the Los Angeles Rams’ OC in 2022, and he worked under head coach Sean McVay as the Rams’ assistant wide receivers coach (2018-19) and assistant quarterbacks coach (2020).
–Field Level Media
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