JACKSONVILLE – This was Day One, Step One.

And if it felt like a new day and a new era around the Jaguars on Monday, that was exactly how it was supposed to feel as the franchise moves forward.

The Liam Coen Era began Monday, and that made for a good day.

"We got our man," Jaguars Owner Shad Khan said, adding that during a search process that lasted a little more than two weeks "it was very evident to me that Liam was the guy."

Coen, 39, became the eighth full-time head coach in franchise history. He spent this past season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator, becoming the youngest head coach in Jaguars history as he took his first head-coaching position.

Coen called the day "an absolute dream come true."

"This was opportunity that you just can't pass up, for so many different reasons," Coen said. "You ultimately want to do truly what's best for you and your family, and that's what this came down to."

Coen added: "You see this place, look at this right now: The community, what we're doing in the future, the opportunity to be a part of something different. Let's be honest, this is different. That's awesome.

"That's exciting for me and for my family, to truly be a part of something different. It's about trying to be a part of change and improvement, and go try to go do something different and win.

"Winning cures a lot. And that's the goal."

Coen, too, specified his role on game days in addition to managing the game.

"I'll absolutely be calling football plays," he said.

The Jaguars on January 6 dismissed former Head Coach Doug Pederson a day after finishing 4-13 in the 2024 regular season. The Jaguars interviewed 10 candidates, with Coen officially being named this past Friday.

"It was very quick," Khan said of the process. "He's our guy, and we got him. Simple as that."

Khan, who also on Monday said the team plans to fill its vacant general-manager position by the end of February, said the first thing he realized during the head-coach search was that the change wasn't a "moment of regret."

"This was a moment of progress, optimism and confidence that we will achieve the ultimate goal as long as we have the right man," Khan said.

The second thing he realized?

"That man was Liam Coen," Khan said.

Khan emphasized Coen' reputation for quarterback development, calling the area the "bedrock of modern NFL," and adding that developing quarterback Trevor Lawrene was a "fundamental question" during the process.

Khan also emphasized Coen's status as a rising candidate in NFL circles.

"His outstanding reputation preceded our first interview on video and everything we heard about him from top people throughout football, solicited and otherwise, was confirmed when we met Liam here last week," Khan said. "Liam was bright, prepared, ambitious and he inspired us."

Coen, who also served as offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 between stints as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at the University of Kentucky in 2021 and 2023, detailed his philosophy as he spoke Monday. He told a group of players in attendance – a group that included Lawrence – that he believed in "players over plays."

"You see players in the room right here, guys that I've had conversations with already," he said toward the group. "It will always be about you. Always. How do we make this as much about the players and making this about bringing out the best in you? That's what this is about."

Coen on Monday also spoke extensively on multiple occasions of the need for an aligned culture and approach, speaking of the acronym FAST and breaking it down as follows:

• Fundamentally sound
• Attacking
• Situational masters
• Tough, both mentally and physically

Coen, who as of Monday is in the process of hiring a staff – including offensive and defensive coordinators – called the need to establish culture and communication he and the organization's top priority.

"What's the culture we want to establish, the direction in which we're going to go and how we're going to get there?" he said. "That's first and foremost. After we start to establish the standard in how we want to do things, then we'll get into the fundamentals and techniques in which we want to participate and play the game at. Then you start to get into the scheme while continuing to educate and address the culture.

"The culture, the standards … that's where it's going to all start, is when these guys get in the building. It will probably start before that with the staff building and trying to get this thing within the building itself."

Added Coen, "We're going to work our tails off to bring championships to Jacksonville."