Liam Coen Tried to Hire Former Buccaneers OC Josh Grizzard This Offseason

Former Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard almost landed a job with the Jacksonville Jaguars — and his former boss Liam Coen — this offseason.

Per Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida-Times Union, Coen, former Bucs OC and current Jaguars HC, attempted to hire fellow former coordinator Josh Grizzard to his staff after he was fired from Tampa Bay.

Coen said he tried to hire former Tampa Bay OC Josh Grizzard during offseason. Went to Eagles.
— Ryan O'Halloran (@ryanohalloran) March 31, 2026

It's not hard to see why Coen wanted to make this move, as Grizzard served as the pass game coordinator on Coen's staff when he was offensive coordinator during the 2024 season. After that, Coen would take the head coaching job in Jacksonville and Grizzard would be promoted to full-time offensive coordinator.

The main reason the Bucs wanted to hire Grizzard in the first place was to keep continuity in their offense after losing Coen. While this was successful to a point, Grizzard did not have the same success in Tampa Bay as Coen did, which would eventually result in his firing.

Sep 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard talks with wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Grizzard truly felt like a bridge between Dave Canales and Coen, posting slightly better total yards and points scored than Canales' offense in 2023 but not having as explosive an offense as Coen did in 2024.

After being fired from Tampa Bay, Grizzard would end up not taking the deal to join Coen in Jacksoville, instead looking to join a recent Super Bowl champion in the Philadelphia Eagles. Grizzard will serve as the pass game coordinator in Nick Sirianni's offense and will get the chance to work with some great playmakers such as Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts and many more.

This could very well be a job that lands Grizzard back in offensive coordinator discussions if things go well. At only 35 years old, Grizzard still has a bright future ahead of him in coaching and likely learned a great deal of what does and doesn't work in the offenses he likes to run.

Dec 29, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson on the field before a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Bucs, meanwhile, shifted to a more experienced coordinator in Zac Robinson, who served as the Falcons' offensive coordinator in 2024 and 2025. Robinson is very good friends with Coen and has spoken about also wanting to implement very similar offensive styles and schemes that Coen did during his time in Tampa.

Obviously, the Bucs are still trying to find that magic that they had in 2024 when Coen was there, be it promoting his former protege to succeed him after he left for Jacksonville or by hiring one of his great friends to rediscover the same type of offensive success.

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