JACKSONVILLE –The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to terms with Liam Coen to become the team's head coach, the team announced today.
"To repeat my message earlier this week, I am deeply committed to building a winner here in Jacksonville," Jaguars team owner Shad Khan said today. "I also believe in being judged by actions, not words. That's why I took swift and decisive action this week to hire Liam Coen as the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. I am pumped that Liam is accepting the challenge and opportunity to build the winner that Jaguars fans and partners fully deserve. I know our players feel the same."
"Becoming the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars is an opportunity of a lifetime, and one that I am going to run with to instill a championship culture and winning tradition here in Duval," Coen said. "This doesn't happen without the support and opportunities that my family and I have been afforded throughout my career, especially during this past season in Tampa Bay. We thank Todd Bowles for his continued support and the entire Buccaneers organization for the experience, and know they will have success ahead.
"Most of all, we are grateful to Shad Khan for his belief in what we will bring to the Jaguars. We will work tirelessly to reward his confidence. As head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, I will hire a first-class coaching staff, establish a distinctive and effective brand of football on both sides of the ball, and our players will live for the black and teal. Shad and Jaguars fans should expect nothing less, and that's what we plan to deliver and more. My wife Ashley and our family are honored to be here and a part of the Jacksonville community. We are ready to get to work."
Coen arrives in Jacksonville after spending one season as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Buccaneers. In his lone season in Tampa Bay, he led the NFL's only offense that finished in the top five in yards per game (399.6), scoring (29.5), passing yards per game (250.4) and rushing yards per game (149.2). Under Coen's direction, the Buccaneers became the first team in NFL history to complete 70 percent of their passes and average over 5.0 yards per carry throughout an entire season, in addition to becoming just the second team in league history with 40-plus passing touchdowns and 5.0-plus yards per rush in a single season.
Tampa Bay's offense established a number of single-season franchise records under Coen, including completion percentage (71.5 percent), passer rating (106.8), yards per rush (5.3), rushing yards (2,536) and third-down conversion rate (50.9 percent). Coen oversaw a complete overhaul of the team's rushing attack, improving the NFL's worst-ranked rush offense in 2022 and 2023 to a ground game that finished third in yards per rush and fourth in rush yards per game in 2024. Coen's 2024 offense was one of three across the league to throw for 4,000-plus yards and rush for 2,000-plus yards last season, alongside the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions.
Individually, Coen helped QB Baker Mayfield to career highs in passer rating (106.8), completion percentage (71.4 percent), passing touchdowns (41) and passing yards (4,500), which put him among a group of 10 quarterbacks in NFL history with 4,500-plus yards and 40-plus passing touchdowns in a single season. Additionally, Coen oversaw OL Tristan Wirfs' Pro Bowl and first-team Associated Press All-Pro season and WR Mike Evans' NFL-record-tying streak of 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Mentored by Coen, RB Bucky Irving led all rookies in scrimmage yards (1,514), rushing yards (1,122) and rushing touchdowns (eight), while WR Jalen McMillan tied for second among this year's rookie class in receiving touchdowns (eight).
Coen brings 15 years of coaching experience to Jacksonville, including five years in the NFL. Before his stint with Tampa Bay, Coen served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Kentucky for the 2023 and 2021 seasons during which he put forth two of the highest-scoring single seasons in school history. The 2021 Wildcats team amassed 56 total touchdowns while the 2023 Wildcats team scored 50 total touchdowns.
Prior to his most recent stint with the Wildcats, Coen was the Rams' offensive coordinator in 2022 after spending time as the club's assistant quarterbacks coach (2020) and assistant wide receivers coach (2018-19). Coen contributed to an offense that ranked among league leaders across those seasons in passing yards per game (248.1; sixth), third-down conversion rate (41.9 percent; eighth), and rushing touchdowns (77; fourth).
As assistant wide receivers coach in 2018, Coen helped guide Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks, who each topped 1,200 yards that season on the way to a Super Bowl appearance. The following year, Woods and Cooper Kupp each surpassed 1,100 receiving yards, marking the latter's first 1,000-yard campaign.
Prior to his time with the Rams, Coen spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the University of Maine (2016-17). He came to the University of Maine from the University of Massachusetts (2014-15), where he had served as the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. Coen also spent three years as the quarterbacks coach at Brown University (2010, 2012-13) and one year as the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at the University of Rhode Island (2011).
Prior to his coaching career, Coen played quarterback at the University of Massachusetts. He holds the program records for completions (830), attempts (1,302), completion percentage (63.7 percent), passing yards (11,031), yards per attempt (8.5), passing touchdowns (50) and passer rating (150.7). He graduated in 2008 with a degree in communications. A native of Wakefield, Rhode Island, Coen and his wife, Ashley, have two sons, Jackson and Callahan.
