REPORT: Is How Liam Coen Handled Jaguars HC Search a Red Flag?

The Jacksonville Jaguars' refusal to fire general manager Trent Baalke until it nearly cost them a quality head coach caused an already unique coaching search to turn into an even more eventful ordeal. The last few days have been a whirlwind for the organization and all of its head coaching candidates.

After losing out on Ben Johnson, it was rumored the Jaguars were interested in Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen. Still, it was also reported that Coen had accepted an offer from the Buccaneers to remain their offensive coordinator with a raise that would make him one of the highest-paid coordinators in the league.

At this point, the Jaguars still had Baalke in their front office, even though it was well-known that Baalke made many coaching candidates hesitant because of his poor results. In response to Coen reportedly staying in Tampa Bay as a coordinator over becoming the Jaguars head coach, presumably because of Baalke, Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired Baalke, setting off a domino effect of events.

Coen reportedly never signed the contract with the Buccaneers, and Baalke's firing changed everything for Coen. It forced him to reconsider remaining a coordinator over a head coach with arguably one of the better quarterbacks in the league and an owner desperate enough to do whatever it takes to win.

However, the devil is in the details. Alex Kennedy of Pro Football Network believes Coen's handling of the situation is notable.

"The way this whole situation played out — with Coen initially spurning Jacksonville and then ultimately backing out of his agreement with the Bucs, ghosting them, and reportedly lying about being with his sick child at the doctor’s office — is a pretty bad look for the 39-year-old," Kennedy said.

"While it’s understandable that Coen had a change of heart after the Jaguars fired general manager Trent Baalke, he could have picked up the phone and communicated with the Bucs. The lying and immaturity are a bit of a red flag, and the optics aren’t great for Coen. As for on-the-field reasons why Coen may not be the best option, he’s a terrific offensive mind, but the Jaguars’ defensive decline in 2024 was as much to blame for the disappointing season as anything. Without a fix there, the ceiling of any offensive bounceback is low."

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