Jaguars See Most Attractive Job Become the Most Unwanted

The Jacksonville Jaguars have seemingly seen their coaching search go completely off the rails.
Dec 1, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan looks on before a game against the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan looks on before a game against the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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The Jacksonville Jaguars have taken a stunning fall.

The Jaguars have always been one of the most hapless franchises in the NFL over the last few decades. It is not a rairty to see the best laid plans blow up in their faces.

But when Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen opted to turn down a second interview with the Jaguars to remain the Buccaneers' play-caller, the Jaguars hit a new low.

In the span of three days, the Jaguars have gone from a team that reportedly was one of the top destinations in the NFL for a head coach hire to a team that nobody wants to coach.

The Jaguars have all they need to sell a coach; they have the quarterback position figured out, and he has already been paid his big extension. They have a star wide receiver in Brian Thomas Jr. and two edge rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.

They have the No. 5 pick and nine other picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Their cap space is in a healthy place. They have brand-new practice and team facilities, an approved new state of the art stadium, an owner who doesn't meddle with the day-to-day operations, and they play in one of the weakest divisions in football.

But none of this has mattered. One coach accepted another job without even taking a second meeting with the Jaguars. And now Coen has spurned the Jaguars to continue being an offensive coordinator, which is almost unheard of in NFL hiring cycles outside of Johnson last year.

A coach turning down the chance to be one of 32 NFL head coaches in the NFL is a stunning development anytime it happens. It is even more stunning when it happens to a team that, on paper, has almost everything a coach should want.

The Jaguars wanted Coen, who was seen as the heavy favorite to land the job. Now, they have to pivot and attempt to sell the fan base on a hire who will be seen as the team's third choice no matter what.

That shouldn't be happening to a team with all of the things the Jaguars have going for them. But because of self-inflicted mistakes, it is happening once again.

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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.