With extra head teaching vacancies being crammed by the day, the curiosity be Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen and the Jacksonville Jaguars continues to develop. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport has reported that Coen is ready to have a second interview with Jacksonville this week and it’s an in-person interview.
This comes off the heels of experiences that the Chicago Bears are hiring former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to turn out to be their head coach. Johnson was closely thought of as a prime head teaching candidate this offseason and the Jaguars have been very keen on him as properly. With Johnson off the board, Jacksonville could pivot to Liam Coen, making it the third yr in a row that the Bucs could be in seek for a brand new offensive coordinator.
Liam Coen Is Amongst A number of Teaching Candidates
Whereas Bucs followers are rightfully fearful about Liam Coen probably departing from Tampa, it’s vital to specify that Rapoport als mentioned that there are a number of candidates that Jacksonville is taking a look at. In his similar submit on X, Rapoport mentions that the Jaguars can even be interviewing Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and former Jets head coach Robert Saleh.
Graham has but to be a head coach however has been a coach within the NFL since 2009. He’s been with the Patriots, Giants, Packers, Dolphins and Raiders in his profession with roles akin to defensive position coach, linebackers coach, assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. He helped win Tremendous Bowl 50 over the Patriots, which many keep in mind from a key defensive play late within the recreation with a Malcolm Butler interception.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield, OC Liam Coen and QBs coach Thad Lewis – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
A bonus that Robert Saleh has going into these interviews is that he at the very least has head teaching expertise. He didn’t have file with the Jets at 20-36, however their organizations constant meddling and disfunction is likely to be chalked as much as the explanation why they weren’t profitable. Saleh made his inventory rise earlier than the Jets as a profitable defensive coordinator with the 49ers and has been within the NFL since 2005.
Liam Coen doesn’t almost have as a lot expertise as these different two coaches, however there’s not denying the good job he’s executed as an offensive coordinator with the Bucs. Beneath Liam Coen’s watch, the Bucs scored 502 factors within the common season. That’s the second most they’ve rating in franchise historical past. Tampa Bay averaged 29.5 factors per recreation, which was fourth finest within the league.
He was capable of get Mike Evans to succeed in 1,000 receiving yards for the eleventh straight season, regardless of lacking three video games. Liam Coen additionally arrange Bucky Irving be the Bucs first operating again to surpass 1,000 speeding yards in a decade and assisted in Baker Mayfield reaching profession highs in a number of classes. That features 41 passing touchdowns, which put Mayfield second all-time Bucs historical past for single season passing touchdowns, trailing Tom Brady by two.
Bucs OC Liam Coen – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
This all got here in Liam Coen’s first yr as a play caller on the NFL degree. He could not have all the expertise of some others lobbying for this job, however he’s confirmed rapidly that he’s able to excelling within the function. The Jaguars have a younger core of expertise on offense that they might need Coen to get the perfect out of.
It stays to be seen how the Bucs will deal with this if Coen is obtainable a head teaching job. Will they attempt to persuade he to come back again by giving him more cash? Will they resolve they will’t lose him and make him the pinnacle coach in Tampa. There are a number of eventualities wherein the Bucs and their entrance workplace might want to play out in an effort to hold their excessive flying offense in a great spot heading into subsequent season.
Pewter Report spoke loads about Liam Coen throughout Monday’s Pewter Report Podcast. Take a look at the video under for our opinions about it.
