Buccaneers' Liam Coen Should Firmly Be on Jaguars' Radar

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play-caller could be one of the top candidates for any team looking for a resurgence on offense.

Jul 25, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen during training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

While plenty of hype around the 2025 NFL coaching cycle has already centered around Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, there is another young offensive name that should be at the very top of lists for teams across the NFL: Liam Coen.

For a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars whose top priority has to be the quarterback position, Coen's candidacy should speak for itself.

Coen, 39, is the type of coach who could truly transform an entire franchise with his offensive acumen, similar to what Kevin O'Connell has done in Minnesota and what Matt LaFleur has done in Green Bay. They have proven to be the trend that has hit in recent NFL hiring cycles, and Coen's name belongs at the top alongside Johnson's.

Coen has made life easier for his quarterbacks at every stop he has been at. His work with Will Levis at Kentucky is a large reason why Levis was a second-round pick by the time he declared. He has been around Sean McVay in Los Angeles to see why his scheme breeds success.

And in 2024, Coen was given the chance to run an NFL offense all on his own with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has absolutely shined, helping take Tampa Bay's offense to an entirely new level. He has improved an offense that already was led by a current head coach in Dave Canales, taking the Buccaneers' running game and turning it around completely.

Coen has also done all of this despite facing serious injuries at every level of the offense. Despite being without key faces all season, Tampa's offense has shown up week in and week out. This includes a Week 15 win over the Los Angeles Chargers that saw the Buccaneers become to first team to score more than 30 points on the Chargers all season.

The Jaguars of course have yet to officially move on from head coach Doug Pederson. The prevailing assumption in the football world seems to be that the Jaguars job is likely to open, but it hasn't yet. We won't know for a few more weeks if it will or not.

But if it does, then Jaguars owner Shad Khan would be wise to make Coen a top priority. In many ways, Coen could be what Khan has been looking for since his team was awarded the No. 1 pick for the 2021 NFL Draft.

When Khan hired Pederson in 2022, he was hoping to hire a coach who would develop and cultivate Trevor Lawrence's takents. One who could turn him into one of the best in the league. One who could keep him from having to play Superman football week in and week out.

For one reason or another, Pederson hasn't provided that. Pederson has taken more of a CEO-style approach, letting offensive coordinator Press Taylor take over play-calling for the last two seasons. In many ways, he hasn't been wrist-deep in the development of Lawrence like many assumed.

Coen could be that coach, though. He has placed an emphasis on making his quarterback's life easier at every stop he has been at. The way he schemes open receivers and easy-button plays for Baker Mayfield is exactly the kind of support Lawrence has never had.

Lawrence needs a coach whose top priority is his development. That is what the Jaguars need to be successful. They will only go as far as Lawrence takes them.

And Coen could be just the coach who gets Lawrence to that level.

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