Jaguars' Liam Coen breaks silence after leaving Buccaneers for an 'opportunity of a lifetime'

Liam Coen broke his silence after leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Aug 23, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen looks on before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got great news regarding offensive coordinator Liam Coen. He had pulled his name out of the running for the Jacksonville Jaguars head coaching vacancy.

Then, within 24 hours, the Buccaneers had limited contact with Coen, who remained unsigned, before he accepted a job to become the Jaguars' head coach.

Fans and the Buccaneers' front office were upset, as Coen was going to return to the club next season as one of the highest-paid offensive coordinators in NFL history.

Instead, Coen will be coaching the Jaguars as the head man following one season with the Buccaneers. For two straight seasons, Tampa Bay has lost their offensive coordinator to a head coaching vacancy.

After setting social media on fire, Coen finally broke his silence regarding the coaching and career move for himself:

“Becoming the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars is an opportunity of a lifetime, and one that I am going to run with to instill a championship culture and winning tradition here in Duval," Coen said. "This doesn’t happen without the support and opportunities that my family and I have been afforded throughout my career, especially during this past season in Tampa Bay.  We thank Todd Bowles for his continued support and the entire Buccaneers organization for the experience, and know they will have success ahead. 

“Most of all, we are grateful to Shad Khan for his belief in what we will bring to the Jaguars.  We will work tirelessly to reward his confidence.  As head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, I will hire a first-class coaching staff, establish a distinctive and effective brand of football on both sides of the ball, and our players will live for the black and teal.  Shad and Jaguars fans should expect nothing less, and that’s what we plan to deliver and more.  My wife Ashley and our family are honored to be here and a part of the Jacksonville community.  We are ready to get to work.”

Exclusive: Here's Liam Coen's statement to me. Please credit when re-posting. @gmfb @nflnetwork @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/awErfSoCVi

— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) January 24, 2025

The person most impacted by this is quarterback Baker Mayfield, who is fresh off a second-straight career year with the Buccaneers as he had found plenty of success with Coen leading the ship. The Buccaneers are also quite upset given the way it was handled, though Coen couldn't turn down an "opportunity of a lifetime."

---

READ MORE: Buccaneers front office not happy with Liam Coen leaving for Jaguars in the style he did

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

More Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

• Report Suggests Buccaneers Could Have Fired Todd Bowles to Keep Liam Coen

• Could the Buccaneers Land Rams Star Cooper Kupp?

• 5 Candidates Buccaneers Could Pursue To Replace Former OC Liam Coen

• Buccaneers OC 'Ghosts' Liam Coen Franchise Ahead of Second Interview With Jaguars