Did Coen use the Bucs to get a better offer in Jacksonville?
At some point today or Saturday, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen will be introduced as the new Jaguars head coach. Multiple reports indicate that the Jaguars are paying Coen $13 million per year for five years, which is about the same deal that Ben Johnson received from Chicago.
Coen became a target for the Jaguars following his success in Tampa Bay with Baker Mayfield and their offense. In his and only season leading the offense, Coen was impressive. The Buccaneers were a playoff team and achieved a feat no other team in football did: they finished the regular season ranked top-five in scoring, rushing yards per game, and passing yards per game.
Back in Tampa, they were wondering what just happened
Two hundred miles south in Tampa, there is a sense of betrayal and concern that Coen had used the Buccaneers as leverage to secure the Jacksonville job. Knowing that Coen was planning a second meeting in Jacksonville on Wednesday, the Buccaneers sought to keep him in Tampa.
On Monday, Coen met with Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht and agreed in principle to a deal that, at $4.5 million per year, would have made him the highest-paid assistant in the NFL. The two shook hands and agreed to meet later in the week.
As part of the agreement, Coen would refrain from taking another job interview and would sign the deal as soon as the contract was finalized. Late Wednesday, news emerged from Jacksonville that they had fired General Manager Trent Baalke. It appeared that Baalke was the obstacle preventing Coen from accepting the Jaguars’ offer after the initial interview.
Coen’s 24 change of heart
Thursday came and he was nowhere to be found in Tampa. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times: reported “To be clear . . . Liam Coen contacted head coach Todd Bowles around 5 p.m. Thursday. He said he had been with one of his kids, who had taken ill, at a doctor’s office. He mentioned the Jaguars situation only briefly, saying he wanted to look back into it.”
But the fact was that he lied to Bowles because he was in Jacksonville meeting with their owner Shad Kahn to put the final touches on a deal. Bucs officials. The media started posting Coen was in Jacksonville and working on the deal.
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Baker Mayfield got Coen the job
After an impressive season in 2023, Baker Mayfield witnessed his offensive coordinator, Dave Canales, depart to become the head coach of the Panthers. Subsequently, Mayfield signed a new three-year contract with the Buccaneers valued at $100 million.
Mayfield suggested that Coen, who had worked with him at the Rams, become the team’s new offensive coordinator. Trusting Mayfield’s judgment, and despite Coen never having held a coordinator position in the NFL, he was given the job.
Together, Mayfield and Coen formed an impressive duo. Mayfield had a career year, completing 72% of his passes for 4,500 yards at 7.9 yards per attempt, with 41 touchdowns to 16 interceptions. As of now, Mayfield has not commented on Coen’s departure.
Conclusion – Optics is everything
At the end of the day Coen has the right to do whatever is the best for himself and his family. Optics matter and he should have been upfront with the Bucs on Thursday. He could have told the Bucs despite a deal ready to sign with Tampa he wanted one more shot at Jacksonville.
Washington based CEO & Founder of LJC. Media covering politics, sports, & entertainment A seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director, and podcast host. Digital Director and Washington Bureau Chief at News Talk Florida & The Daily Cable
