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The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly expected to hire Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen as their next head coach, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter Thursday (January 23) night.
"Talks are tracking for Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen to be named the Jaguars’ next head coach, per sources. Negotiations still ongoing, both sides want to make it happen, and the belief around the league is that they will get there. They’re just not there yet," Schefter wrote on his X account.
Reports of the expected agreement came hours after the Jaguars were reported to be back in talks with Coen, despite him having declined the job earlier this week and agreed to a massive extension with the Buccaneers, but never signed the deal. Jacksonville's firing of general manager Trent Baalke on Wednesday (January 22) reportedly re-opened talks between the two sides, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
"A dramatic turn: Liam Coen informed the #Jaguars on Wednesday he was staying in Tampa as OC on a new contract. But after the firing of GM Trent Baalke, the Jags reached out to see if Coen would reconsider. Now, Coen is in Jacksonville and appears to be headed towards a deal," Pelissero wrote on his X account.
Coen, 39, was hired by the Bucs this past offseason after previously working as the offensive coordinator for the University of Kentucky Wildcats in 2023 and 2021, as well as the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, where he worked with quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was set to hit free agency prior to re-signing with Tampa Bay. The Bucs ranked third in total offense with 399.5 total yards per game and fourth in scoring offense with 29.5 points scored per game while Mayfield was third among all NFL quarterbacks in both passing yards (4,500) and passing touchdowns (41).