Why Jacksonville’s Head Coach Is Eager to Prove Himself After a Hot Start
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has constantly made headlines throughout the start of his first season as the team’s leader. Coen has had the Jaguars to a fast start, leading the team to a 3-1 record through the first four games. This has come with controversy, especially during the Week Four matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, where former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh accused Coen and the Jaguars of sign-stealing. After the Jaguars won, things got heated between the two, with words being tossed at each other. Coen did end up getting the last laugh, beating the 49ers and proving that he has the potential to be a viable head coach in this league.
However, fans could think that this is just a lucky start for the Jaguars. The 49ers team was extremely injured, and their other two wins were over the struggling Houston Texans and the Carolina Panthers. Coen’s only loss was to the Cincinnati Bengals, and it was to a backup quarterback in Jake Browning. Even with these doubts, Coen has pushed through and got the Jaguars tied for first place in the AFC South, a division that they were expected to be second or third in by the end of the season. The whole reason Coen went to Jacksonville was to reshape a struggling offense, one that lacked leadership and stability. Jacksonville’s star quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, has gone through multiple head coaches and offensive coordinators in his NFL career, but none of them gave him as much hope in the team as Coen.
To silence the doubters, Coen will have to keep winning games. The biggest test comes Monday night, when Jacksonville will face the Kansas City Chiefs, notoriously one of the best teams in football over the last decade. In Tampa Bay, Coen was known for his hot temper and personality, which showed postgame against Robert Saleh. He feels as if there is a chip on his shoulder, with so many teams passing on him as a head coach candidate and hiring other coordinators instead, like the Chicago Bears hiring Ben Johnson. Coen’s ability in coaching has already been shown, turning around the career of Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay and leading this Jaguars team to having one of the best defenses in the league to start 2025. With many outside of Jacksonville still on the fence, it will be exciting to see what Coen can do to lead this team to victory in order to silence the outside noise.
