The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently in a state of turmoil. After seemingly securing offensive coordinator Liam Coen with a contract extension on Wednesday afternoon, it now appears that he may be backing out to pursue the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coaching vacancy.
Initially, it was reported that Coen had withdrawn from consideration for the Jags’ top coaching spot and was set to sign a new deal with Tampa Bay. However, Jacksonville quickly fired general manager Trent Baalke, who was believed to be the main reason top head coaching candidates were rejecting the team. This move seems to have led Coen to reconsider the Jags’ offer, as he was in Jacksonville on Thursday discussing the position. While reports suggested that Coen had been avoiding the Buccaneers during this process, he denied those claims. According to Adam Schefter, Coen reached out to Bucs head coach Todd Bowles to inform him of his interest in interviewing for the Jaguars’ job.
The situation has become chaotic for Tampa Bay, as they’ve gone from seemingly securing Liam Coen as their offensive coordinator for the foreseeable future to possibly losing him within just 24 hours. Throughout this, the Buccaneers have claimed they’ve been unable to reach Coen, a statement the highly sought-after coach has denied. Coen’s sudden change of heart has clearly surprised the Buccaneers, but he doesn’t seem overly concerned about the potential fallout. While nothing is official with the Jaguars yet, with talks intensifying, it will be important to monitor Coen’s situation. If things don’t work out with Jacksonville, he may not be welcomed back in Tampa Bay.
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