Liam Coen is headed to Jacksonville, after all.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator is set to become the next head coach of the Jaguars, just one day after he allegedly withdrew his name from the running, per ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jenna Laine.
Laine reported that Coen informed the Buccaneers that he is taking the job on Thursday night.
Coen had reportedly signed a deal to remain with the Buccaneers on Wednesday that would have made him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL, according to Schefter.
Then hours later, Jaguars owner Shad Khan announced they had parted ways with general manager Trent Baalke – after initially stating they were retaining him following another disappointing season.
Baalke struggled to land an interview with top-end head coaching candidates, as Aaron Glenn, Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, and Coen all fell off the board, Khan felt it was time to make a move.
Now, with a clean slate waiting just four hours north of Tampa, Coen decided to take the promotion.
Coen leaves the Bucs after coaching them to a fourth-highest scoring offence in 2024, with quarterback Baker Mayfield posting his best season in the NFL.
Waiting in Jacksonville is a middling roster led by quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has shown stretches of promise in the NFL, with 69 touchdowns and 13,815 passing yards over 60 NFL starts.
Lawrence, a former College Football National Champion with the Clemson Tigers in 2019, is now on his third head coach in just four years.
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