A lot can happen in 24 hours, which is a lesson the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are learning the hard way with Liam Coen. A day after Coen bowed out of the running to become the next head coach of teh Jacksonville Jaguars, a decision that was celebrated by Bucs fans, Coen has reversed course in the most diabolical way.
Not long after Coen agreed to a massive payday to return to the Bucs, the Jaguars fired general manager Trent Baalke who was seen as a roadblock for potential hires. Once that happened things apparently changed and Coen reportedly ghosted his collegeaues in Tampa Bay who were trying to get him to come in and sign his new deal.
It turns out, Coen had secretly flown back to Jacksonville to meet with Shad Kahn and use the Bucs as leverage. In short, it sounds like he ended up stabbing his old team in the back to gain a better deal with his new one.
Coen had not spoken to the Bucs since yesterday afternoon. They tried to reach him and have been unable to. Instead of signing his contract, which was a formality, he secretly traveled to Jacksonville to meet with Jags owner Shad Kahn.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 23, 2025
There are a lot of ways to describe this, from gutless to shady, to downright hurtful -- but at the end of the day the NFL is a business. Coen looked out for himself and did what he thought was the best move for him. In the process, though, he went full Apolcolypse Now and napalmed every bridge he spent a year building in Tampa.
It's truly one of the more incredible plot twists we've seen in a while, but it's not the first time a head coaching candidate has reversed course in the 11th hour. Josh McDaniels infamously left the Colts at the alter after accepting a deal, and last year Ben Johnson pulled out of the running to be the Commanders head coach while team officials were mid-flight to meet him.
There's an element of bias to this that makes it sting even more, but this objectively ranks up there as one of the most bizarre moments not only in the Buccaneer's history but for the entire league. This was essentially a closed case as far as Coen coming back, but it's not the fact that he went back on his word that makes it incredible; it's how he did it that will be a stain.
It's one thing for Coen to have a change of heart -- which is totally understandable. It's the fact that he ghosted the Bucs, kept them in the dark about his true intentions, and used his colleagues as leverage for his own self-interest that takes this to a whole different level. That's a tough look for someone who is supposed to be a leader of men, and it's a hard way to start building a culture.
There was a lot of chatter all season about how Coen should replace Todd Bowles as head coach, but it's pretty hard to argue that point after he showed his true colors.
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