Bobby Slowik Is Example of Why Liam Coen Had to Jump at Jaguars Job

The NFL saw Bobby Slowik fired by the Houston Texans just one year after getting head coach interviews -- a perfect example of why Liam Coen had to jump at the Jaguars' job.
Sep 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik during the game against the Chicago Bears at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Sep 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik during the game against the Chicago Bears at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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Life changes fast in the NFL.

12 months ago, former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was one of the hottest coaching names in football. He was getting head coach interviews and, to many, was seen as one of the true rising stars in the coaching ranks.

Fast forward to January 2025 and Slowik is now out of the picture in Houston. The once head coach to be now will have to look for another role on a different offensive staff, not long after Slowik was having to potentially put together his own coaching staffs to lead.

That is the NFL. Things change day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month, and year-to-year. It is known as the not for long league for a reason, and Slowik is the latest and greatest example of how nothing lasts forever in professional football.

That is why it is imperative for coaches to strike while the iron is hot. Nobody questions ladder climbing in any other profession, but for some reason it is seen as taboo in the NFL. But Slowik is a perfect example of why no coach should ever count on next year.

This applies directly to the Jacksonville Jaguars and new head coach Liam Coen. Coen reversed course after initially withdrawing from the race for the Jaguars' head coach job. Then, when the Jaguars made the job more appealing by moving on from general manager Trent Baalke and upping the ante of their offer, Coen knew what every other coach would have known -- this was his chance.

You can't rely on next season in the NFL. You have to take advantage of any momentum you can get because your entire world can change in one 60-minute game. Coen had to take the Jaguars job; not doing so with what they have to offer would have been irresponsible to him and his future in football.

As talented as Coen is, there always remained the chance that his stock could have taken a Slowik-type dip in 2025. Nobody knows what the future holds in football. And for that reason, it is easy to see why Coen took the steps he took this week to secure his future as a head coach for years to come.

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John Shipley
JOHN SHIPLEY

John Shipley has been covering the Jacksonville Jaguars as a beat reporter and publisher of Jaguar Report since 2019. Previously, he covered UCF's undefeated season as a beat reporter for NSM.Today, covered high school prep sports in Central Florida, and covered local sports and news for the Palatka Daily News. Follow John Shipley on Twitter at @_john_shipley.