BREAKING: Jaguars Hire Buccaneers' Liam Coen As Head Coach

The Jacksonville Jaguars have hired Liam Coen as their next head coach.

Aug 23, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen looks on before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

It is official: Liam Coen is the next head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Coen is the eighth full-time coach in franchise history and will replace former head coach Doug Pederson, who had been in the role for the previous three seasons.

Coen had long been sought after by the Jaguars, quickly becoming one of the top candidates for the job after Pederson was fired on Jan. 6.

Coen initially took himself out of the running for the Jaguars job on Wednesday when he was the clear favorite for the job following Ben Johnson's hiring in Chicago.

Following the news of Coen choosing to remain in Tampa Bay, the Jaguars continued their pursuit of Coen while also moving on from former general manager Trent Baalke.

After Baalke's removal, the Jaguars leaned on assistant general manager Ethan Waugh and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Boselli to lead the search. Coen then took his second interview with the Jaguars on Thursday.

Coen is set to become the Jaguars' next great hope of developing quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He will get to start his first head coach job with Lawrence, star wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., the No. 5 pick and nine other picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and enough cap space for the Jaguars to make a difference.

Coen, who has been a long-time assistant for Sean McVay and also had success with Will Levis at Kentucky, just wrapped up his first year as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator -- a year that saw the offense turn into a top-5 unit. In 2024, the Buccaneers ranked top-five in: total offense, scoring offense, rushing offense, passing offense, third-down percentage, and red-zone touchdown percentage.

"Liam has done an incredible job," Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield said earlier this month.

"It's the influence he's had throughout all the guys teaching the game of football, and I've mentioned to you guys like all year, that teaching the details of why we're doing certain things, why we have certain plays alerted or canned, whatever you want to call it. And he does a great job of that, and then calling the plays with player strengths, that's what good OCs do. And so he's done an unbelievable job."

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