Liam Coen says Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield told him to 'go get' Jaguars job

Five days ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers thought they were running it back with offensive coordinator Liam Coen at the helm of the offense. A wild 24 hours later, not only did the Bucs not have Coen, but he had agreed to take the head coaching job for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The move brought a flurry of backlash from fans and media alike for the way everything played out. It wasn't so much that Coen took a head coaching job — it was the way he went about it. Coen ghosted the Bucs' front office and coaching staff who were waiting for him to sign a contract that would make him the highest-paid coordinator in the league, spurning them for the Jaguars.

On Monday Coen addressed the media and briefly touched on his time in Tampa Bay, thanking the Bucs for the opportunity.

"The opportunity to coach in Tampa was a phenomenal one, to get my feet wet in the NFL as an offensive coordinator, and I thank them so much for that opportunity," Coen said.

Coen was also asked what led him to change his mind.

"It started to become more clear every hour that this was an opportunity you can't pass up, for so many different reasons," Coen said. "And you ultimately want to do what's truly best for you and your family, and that's what this came down to."

Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud, who made the trek up to Jacksonville, spoke with Coen after he met with the local media and reiterated that it was a business decision and the best thing for his family.

“At the end of the day? It came down to business,” Coen told Stroud. “It did. It came down to family and business and a dream that was right in front of you! Not maybe down the road. How do you say no to that?”

Sep 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) talks with offensive coordinator Liam Coen against the Washington Commanders. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Coen told Stroud he felt no added pressure from the Bucs organization after he had agreed to come back and pass on a second interview with the Jags. The pressure he would receive was from the Jaguars begging for a second shot. Coen might not have contacted the Bucs' front office throughout the ordeal but he did reach out to quarterback Baker Mayfield who was with his linemen on vacation in the Bahamas.

“Literally, I’m FaceTiming with Baker and the O-linemen in the Bahamas and they’re like, ‘Liam! Go get that! You go get that!’ ” Coen said. “And (running back) Bucky (Irving) is telling me that he loves me. I just texted with (receiver) Mike Evans. He’s at the Pro Bowl. Guess what? If my coaches and my players, if they’re good, I’m good.”

Once it was learned Coen was, in fact, taking the Jacksonville job, reports came out that those within the Bucs organization were irate. Adam Schefter, appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, said since the turn of the century in his 20-plus years, he didn't remember the last time he heard a team that was that hot and bothered about a coach taking another deal. Coen knows the Bucs front office, specifically general manager Jason Licht is probably still furious with him but stated time heals in regards to that relationship.

“And I want Jason to be good with it,” Coen said. “I love Jason. Those guys gave me an opp! I’ll never forget that. But time heals. Time heals. We’ll be all right.”

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