Where Jaguars' Liam Coen Ranks Amongst AFC South's HC Talent

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars found themselves in one of the NFL's toughest divisions in 2025, and there aren't many changes entering this offseason.

The last-place Tennessee Titans were the only team to undergo a head coach change in the AFC South this offseason. Meanwhile, Liam Coen and DeMeco Ryans will return after playoff seasons and Shane Steichen will get another season with the Indianapolis Colts after their hot start and slow cooldown.

So, how does Coen stack up to his AFC South counterparts entering 2026? We break it down below.

Liam Coen

Perhaps it is bold to put Liam Coen in the top slot after just one season, but the things he did to turn around the Jaguars in his first season at the helm can't be denied. The NFL's best teams are run by head coaches who dominate as both motivators and play-callers, and Coen proved to be the Jaguars' version of that. Coen's offense during the second half of the season was one of the best in the NFL as he gave the Jaguars an edge each week.

Coen went 5-1 against the AFC South in 2025, and the only coach with whom he really had close calls was Ryans and the Houston Texans. Still, Coen had more success against the Texans in 2025 than most other coaches did, giving him the edge at this spot entering the offseason. Coen and the Jaguars currently wear the crown when it comes to the AFC South for a reason.

DeMeco Ryans

It is hard to argue against the resume that Ryans has as a head coach. He has three straight double-digit win seasons, has never missed the playoffs, and has overseen the Texans becoming one of the best defenses in recent memory. Ryans has proven to be a central part to the Texans' success since he took over after years of unrest at the head coach spot,

With that said, Ryans and the Texans have had major issues on offense the last two years that can't go without some blame on his hands. He doesn't call the plays or design the offense, of course, but he is the head coach who has to cultivate success from the top of the team down to the bottom. As long as their offense holds them back, he will have to be the one to answer for it.

Shane Steichen

Shane Steichen has certainly not proven to be a bad head coach. His units are always solid. Jonathan Taylor has produced some eye-popping numbers, and the worst season the Colts have ever had under his watch is 8-9. With that said, they have gone 8-9 twice in his three seasons, and their lone better season was a 9-8 effort in his debut season.

Steichen has been brutal against the Jaguars and Texans, going 2-10 against them over the last three seasons. As long as Steichen can't get over the hump against two other teams in the AFC South, the Colts will be a third place team.

Robert Saleh

It isn't exactly a bad thing to be called the AFC South's fourth-best head coach considering two coaches went to the playoffs and one is essentially a .500 coach. With that said, new Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh is the only reasonable answer to be the AFC South's No. 4 head coach.

Saleh never had a season better than 7-10 with the New York Jets, but the Jets are a complete mess regardless of who their coach is and his quarterbacks were Zach Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. Still, he has also not proven to be exactly much more than that. Good defensive coordinator, though.

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