JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars were on the verge of hiring Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen as the eighth head coach in franchise history and capping a covert operation that included owner Shad Khan moving on from general manager Trent Baalke and Coen reversing course with the Bucs.
The sides were working out contract details with an announcement expected Friday, a person familiar with the search told The Associated Press. Coen has informed the Buccaneers of his intention to sign with the Jaguars, another person with knowledge of the decision told the AP. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because neither side had confirmed the ongoing negotiation publicly.
Khan fired Baalke on Wednesday and cleared a path for Coen to get to Jacksonville. Coen initially declined an in-person interview with the Jaguars because of Baalke, who has a less-than-ideal reputation in league circles and talked Khan into firing Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson following his third season with the Jags.
Coen instead agreed to a new contract with the Bucs that would have made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid coordinators. But Coen never showed up to sign the deal Thursday and somewhat secretly traveled to Jacksonville to meet with Khan, interim general manager Ethan Waugh and others.
The Jaguars let him leave without getting a deal done. But an agreement was expected relatively soon, the person said.
It had been trending that way for hours, maybe even days. Coen reportedly crushed his virtual interview with Khan last week and seemed to be the owner’s top choice, especially after Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson took the Chicago Bears job.
But Baalke proved to be a roadblock, one Khan quickly realized he needed to remove in hopes of securing an up-and-coming offensive mind to pair with quarterback Trevor Lawrence and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for the foreseeable future.
Khan said earlier this month that he wanted someone in charge who bring could bring some creativity to Jacksonville, saying “being unpredictable is I think modern football, and we have to be able to show that on the field.”
Coen, 39, was the architect of one of Tampa Bay’s most productive offenses in its history in 2024. The Buccaneers ranked third in the NFL in yards (399.6 per game) and fourth in points (29.5).
Coen became the first NFL coordinator in at least the last 25 years to average more than 28 points per game and more than 6 yards per play, convert more than 50% of third downs and score touchdowns 65% of the time in the red zone.
He was so impressive this season with quarterback Baker Mayfield and rookie running back Bucky Irving that even some Bucs fans speculated about the team moving on from 61-year-old coach Todd Bowles and handing the reins to Coen to keep him in Tampa.
Instead, he seems ready to relocate four hours north to Jacksonville.
Some obvious questions to be answered if he gets the gig: What kind of coach/GM structure would Khan employ moving forward? Would Waugh stick around as GM or would Coen bring in his own guy? Would Khan hire an executive vice president to help a first-time coach?
Regardless, the Jaguars felt like they had one of the best jobs available — especially with Baalke out of the picture.
Jacksonville has a young quarterback (Lawrence) with upside, a budding star at receiver (Thomas), a few defensive building blocks (cornerback Tyson Campbell and pass rushers Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen), a relatively new practice facility, a $1.4 billion stadium renovation upcoming and a hands-off owner with deep pockets.
The Jags have the fifth pick in the April draft and roughly $50 million in salary-cap space for 2025, play in arguably the NFL’s weakest division (AFC South) and work in a state with plenty of sunshine and no income tax. They also went 3-10 in one-score games — an indication they could be a quick fix.
There are negatives, too. Khan is committed to playing at least one home game annually in London — even though it may put the team at a competitive disadvantage — and the Jaguars will play home games in 2026 in front of a reduced capacity and will play all of 2027 away from Jacksonville.
The Jags also have several aging veterans on the roster — wide receiver Christian Kirk, defensive end Arik Armstead, tight end Evan Engram, linebacker Foye Oluokun, center Mitch Morse and guard Brandon Scherff — and no identity.
AP’s Rob Maaddi in Tampa contributed.
