Now that the Jacksonville Jaguars have officially announced Liam Coen as the team’s next head coach, the book is officially closed on that chapter in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history. Up until the very end it was a wildly successful story, as Coen helped turn the league’s worst rushing attack into one of its best, and the Bucs’ offense ranked in the Top 5 in scoring.
All of that still matters, but so does the way Coen left. Lost in the stone throwing between fan bases is the fact that an adult acted like a teenager trying to hide something from his parents in order to get what they wanted. Coen taking another job is totally fine, but the way he cut the Bucs out and ghosted his former colleagues is more than a little weak.
Weaker still is the fact that Coen skirted all questions pertaining to the situation when he was introduced as the Jaguars next head coach. He only mentioned two Buccaneers by name — Mike Evans and Todd Bowles — and seemed to take a subtle shot at them while making his remarks.
Liam Coen seemingly takes a shot at the Buccaneers in first press conference with Jaguars
Among the many things Coen said — and notably didn’t — he seemed to take a subtle shot at the Buccaneers when referring to Jacksonville as a place he could call home.
Full quote from Liam Coen at his presser today on joining the Jacksonville community: "For us to have found a home, for the first time in a long time, that we can maybe plant some roots and truly be in a community and a family that we love and trust."
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 27, 2025
It’s hard not to read between the lines of that one, although the Bucs are second in line when it comes to taking offense to that comment. When Coen was hired for a second time at the University of Kentucky back in 2022, he mentioned in his press conference then that Lexington was a place that he could see himself laying down roots.
Hearing him say this so soon after burning Tampa Bay is harsh but imagine being a Wildcats fan and catching a stray like this. It harkens back to the lack of loyalty that Coen has displayed throughout his career, even though communication was something he preached while being introduced by the Jaguars.
There’s nothing wrong with looking out for yourself, but Coen has been pretty obvious about using certain jobs as stepping stones and leaving no bridges back to where he came from.
To be fair, it’s reached the point where we all need to let bygones be bygones and move on. The Buccaneers certainly have, as the team has completed four interviews with potential offensive coordinator candidates. Coen has clearly moved on as well, going as far as to stop short of telling Jason Licht to get over it while speaking with Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud.
It’s hard not to feel jilted with how the fallout continues to settle, but at some point someone needs to be the adult in the room and it seems that it won’t be Coen any time soon.
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