Jaguars' Liam Coen Speaks on Rams Les Snead, James Gladstone

Former Rams assistant Liam Coen sounds off on reconnecting with James Gladstone

The Jacksonville Jaguars introduce General Manager James Gladstone, left, Monday morning February 24, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. as he listened to Head Coach Liam Coen, center, talk about how Gladstone was bringing a new level of skills to the organization during the press conference as Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli, right, listened. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]2025 | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Liam Coen was a young assistant when he first met James Gladstone. As Coen was trying to make a name for himself as a head coach, Gladstone was cutting his teeth in the front office. Fast forward to 2025, both men are in command of the Jacksonville Jaguars as they look to turn around a proud franchise.

At the NFL annual meetings, Coen spoke about what it has been like to reconnect with Gladstone, especially with both men now wielding a considerable amount of NFL power.

“It's not like that was— James and I weren't just like—we weren't like homies, you know? Like we worked together, he was always leading the undrafted free agent process after the Draft, and he spearheaded it. He was the guy communicating with both the coaches and the scouting department, right? That was what he did. He was in charge of it and led it. I was like, man, this dude's impressive," Coen said.

"This isn't easy to communicate, bullets, things are flying in that moment, and he's able to keep his head so cool, communicate at a high level, and then, man, go back in ‘22, and he's now doing that with the Draft. He's really hand-in-hand with Les [Rams General Manager Les Snead] and working with Sean and those guys in that process, and I’m like, well, okay, that happened quickly. His ability to communicate with all walks of life is really cool, and his organizational skills have helped me out tremendously.”

Gladstone's growth was in part due to a culture within the Rams that gives people an opportunity to develop into better versions of themselves. That was something Coen touched on as he reflected on being a young assistant for Los Angeles.

“I remember being in my third or fourth month working for Sean, and I’m just drawing—I’m a drawer. I’m drawing plays, trying not to get in the way. He comes by my office one day at, like, 6 p.m.,  I’m just studying. It’s the offseason. He walks by my office, comes in, and he’s like, ‘Hey man, you’re doing a great job. I appreciate you being here. I’m really happy you’re here. Then he was [snaps] out. I was like, oh, okay," Coen said.

"You can be told you’re doing a good job in this sport. Because all the other places I’d been and how I’d grown up, it’s like, you just do what you’re told when you’re told, and you don’t do it because somebody’s saying good job. You do it because you’re a coach, and you’ve got a little bit more of a soldier mentality. It was just a different feeling. You’re like, oh, okay, it’s okay to tell guys, ‘Hey man, I love you.’ It’s okay to open up and be actually a human being, too. And so that was always the culture  where you felt like, alright, I have to be at a high level while I’m here, but I can be myself.”

Considering the number of individuals who have left the Rams for higher opportunities, it is another feather in the cap of McVay and Snead as both men continue to build Hall of Fame resumes.

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