1 Way Liam Coen is Teaching Jaguars to Handle Adversity

Adversity is not only a part of sports, but life as well. Everyone you may know has gone through some sort of adversity or hard times in their lives. In sports, adversity comes in waves, whether it is in games, seasons, or stretches of years that may feature numerous obstacles and failures before reaching the mountain top.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had their first moment of adversity this past weekend in their first defeat under head coach Liam Coen. Earlier this week, he discussed with reporters how he handles adversity and how the team will handle it as the season chugs along.

The Jaguars have early-season adversity returning home against Houston.

oen Jags — Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen looks on after a game against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Coen explained Monday morning that anytime you lose, that becomes the adversary to what they want to achieve: winning, and a lot of it. He also discussed how cornerback Jourdan Lewis talked about adversity during that morning's team meeting.

"I think anytime you lose, it becomes somewhat of adversity because the result that we're striving to achieve, we did not meet," Coen said. "So, we can say that, and I mean like [CB] Jourdan Lewis said today, he is like, man, this isn't an adversity, guys, we just lost a game. I mean, we didn't get the result we wanted. So, it is our response, it is."

Etienne Jag — Sep 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Coen said that the Jaguars' response will need to show up this weekend, similar to how players and coaches may respond going forward in meetings, practice, and more. With a critical early-season AFC South matchup at home this Sunday, their response is critical.

"Our response will definitely have to show up, like the way that we respond in meetings, the way that we interact at practice, the way that we go out and practice, the details, the intentionality, the way that we do everything this week and every week," Coen stated. "Like I told these guys, nothing is going to change about the way that we go about our business.

Coen Jag — Carolina Panthers head coach Liam Coen holds his hand over his heart during the national anthem at an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"We did not get the result we wanted. We need to improve every single week. That's the goal."

Coen acknowledges that there are things this team could get better at, including many of the self-inflicted wounds that have continued on from training camp. Despite this past weekend's result, the first-year head coach was proud of the way the Jaguars played against the Bengals.

"It's one game, it's not the result, but man, I'm very proud of the way that these guys play. These guys play their tails off," Coen said. "It's fun to watch them compete on Sundays, like for two weeks in a row and really in throughout the preseason. I enjoy watching this team compete on Sundays and being a part of that. That's what I'm actually really interested to kind of continue to see."

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