Where Jaguars' Most Recent HC Hires Rank Amongst NFL Peers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have had their fair share of misses at the head coach position.

From Urban Meyer to Gus Bradley to Mike Mularkey, the Jaguars have made some impressively poor head coach hires over the last two decades.

But their two most recent hires -- Liam Coen in 2025 and Doug Pederson in 2022 -- have at least proven to be successful at their best and largely competent at their worst. And that is why each landed a respectable ranking in ESPN's ranking of all 37 head coach hires since 2022.

Coen's and Pederson's Rankings

Starting with Pederson, the former Jaguars head coach for three seasons landed at No. 15 on the list and ahead of names like Shane Steichen, Dave Canales, and Brian Schottenheimer. Pederson had two winning seasons with the Jaguars and finished his tenure with a 22-29 record and a 1-1 record in the playoffs.

doug pederso — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson elates after the game of an NFL first round playoff football matchup Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Los Angeles Chargers on a field goal 31-30. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Jki 011423 Chargers Jags C 32 | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA TODAY NETWORK

"Pederson was already beloved in Jacksonville solely by virtue of not being Urban Meyer, so when he helped lead the Jaguars to a playoff berth and a comeback victory over the Chargers in the wild-card round after the 2022 season, he might have been, at that moment, the most popular coach in franchise history," ESPN's Bill Barnwell said.

"Through November 2023, Pederson was 17-11 as the Jags coach. But with Trevor Lawrence injured and ineffective for most of Pederson's remaining tenure, the coach went 5-18 over the rest of his time in Jacksonville, as a stagnant offense led to his departure after three years."

Then there is Coen, who ranks No. 11 after his 13-4 debut season. Had the Jaguars done a bit more in the playoffs than their one-and-done result, Coen likely ranks higher here. He does have a case against several of the coaches ranked above him, but a seconds trong season in 2026 should send his stock soaring.

"It was a successful first season for Coen with the Jaguars, but it was also a strange one. The Jaguars repeatedly struggled with unnecessary pre-snap penalties. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence had extremely rough stretches before playing like an MVP candidate to finish the regular season. Rookie Travis Hunter, the team's most notable addition during an aggressive offseason, barely made an impact as a receiver before getting injured," Barnwell said.

liam coe — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen speaks during a press conference at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Jacksonville's top playmakers by the end of the season were receivers Jakobi Meyers (who was struggling to make an impact in Las Vegas) and Parker Washington (who had been marginalized and buried on the depth chart by the moves Jacksonville made during the offseason). Coen deserves credit for getting more out of players he inherited from the prior regime, including Lawrence, Washington and running back Travis Etienne Jr."

It feels like Coen deserves a higher ranking and perhaps more credit for the work he did with a young roster that had flipped about 50% of its players compared to the year before. Coen got the most out of Lawrence, and he is likely one more big season away from getting rightfully credited for it.

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