A Window Into Liam Coen One Year Ago
January 25th, 2025
Mixed signals in 2024, too.
Joe understands yesterday was Liam Coen Hate Day.
Bucs fans had a full 24 hours to vent after the shocking Thursday news. The second-best offensive coordinator in team history bolted in the dead of the night to Jacksonville to take over the Jags.
Some fans pointed to Coen’s resume. Virtually every year, it appears Coen leaves for a new job. Hey, if someone is going to pay the freight, why not?
Now a bit of background. Some of Joe’s readers may have heard of Matt Jones, the founder and on-air big shot of Kentucky Sports Radio. It’s syndicated sports radio for the Commonwealth of Kentucky focusing mainly on the University of Kentucky and specifically, Kentucky basketball (though it does dabble in Louisville sports as well).
Curiously, Jones is a Duke grad.
Jones is a big fish in a small lake. He’s sort of Kentucky’s version of the late, great “Big Dog,” Steve Duemig, the former dean of local Tampa Bay sports radio.
So anything that moves or breaths on the Kentucky campus when it comes to basketball and football, Jones knows about it. Or he will talk about it.
Last year, Jones saw breaking news on Twitter that the Bucs were after Coen for offensive coordinator. At the time, Coen was the offensive coordinator at Kentucky.
Jones was in Manhattan. He retweeted the breaking news.
Shortly thereafter, Jones recalled on his radio show yesterday, Coen called Jones and chewed him out for retweeting that item telling Jones he wasn’t going anywhere. Jones apologized for the retweet.
Two hours later, Jones said, the Bucs announced Coen was the team’s new offensive coordinator.
You can hear Jones tell the story in the video below. But it sounds a little like what transpired this week between Coen and the Bucs, doesn’t it?
I am happy for Liam Coen. He will be a great coach. And he should have taken a promotion, like anyone would
But the whole Jaguars/Tampa situation is similar to what happened at Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/Azr6bd5RRO
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) January 24, 2025
January 25th, 2025 at 12:06 am
Leopards do not change their spots. Bucs will be fine without Coen. I am guessing that the OC spot in Tampa is a desireable spot now. Coach well, you can be a head cosch the next year….
January 25th, 2025 at 12:31 am
I hope Coen recruits 53 Randy Gregory’s for the Jags
January 25th, 2025 at 12:42 am
The ego on Overhyped clown is unreal….
Anyways, time to move on. The Bucs Will be fine, There should be a list of top candidates lining out the door for this job.
There’s a saying in football, It’s about the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s over the X’s and O’s….and the Bucs have some DUDES on the offensive side of the ball. Not worried one bit….
It’s more of an inconvenience than anything for Licht and Bowles Having to go through another grueling interview process (which im sure are not fun) And for Baker learning another offense, But he doesn’t seem to skip a beat when he has to do that.
January 25th, 2025 at 12:59 am
Quoting Tom Hagen from the Godfather –
“It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business.”
January 25th, 2025 at 1:29 am
Every person criticizing the man should take a look in the mirror and ask themselves, what would I have done! Any man worth his man hood would say I would take the HC over the OC position every time! Thanks for the season coach!
January 25th, 2025 at 2:20 am
The issue isn’t that he took the job. It’s how he took the job, refusing to face his football family, rather just avoiding them. That’s why I’m pissed at him, not because he accepted the offer he couldn’t refuse. That should have made it easy to explain.
January 25th, 2025 at 2:56 am
The Dallas and Denver games in particular convinced me that Coen is a person of tremendous talent who still has a lot to learn. I thought that he would do his career a disservice by taking a Head Coach position too soon.
But, there is career, and then there is family financial security. If I am understanding the reporting, Jacksonville’s second offer wasn’t just three or four times what Coen made as Offensive Coordinator, it was three or four times what Bowles makes as Head Coach. Coen may indeed be harming his career and legacy as a Head Coach, but he is certainly achieving significant financial security. I can’t fault the guy for putting family ahead of career.
What is more difficult for me to understand is why the Bucs didn’t have Co-Assistant Defensive Coordinator for Run Defense and Defensive Line Coach Kacy Rodgers under contract. The Bucs DL and run defense were excellent. Why does he take a step down in title to go to the land of ice and snow?
Bowles is notoriously one of the lower paid NFL Head Coaches. Is that having an knock on effect on the salaries of his coaches and their retention? If so, it seems penny wise and pound foolish!
I am concerned that Larry Foote will also leave. As Passing Defense Co-Defensive Coordinator and Inside Linebacker Coach, many fans and sports commentators have called for his replacement. Given that he coached the ILB’s in a Super Bowl victory, I looked into what it’s different, and the answer seems to be talent. When he coached on the Super Bowl Team, his starters were a first round draft pick (who sometimes lived up to the pick) and a second round draft pick who has a career of work to show that he deserved to be a first round pick. This year, he had that same second round player in his thirteenth season, and two fifth rounders.
The Bucs really could not afford to lose Rodgers, and they can’t afford to lose Foote. If that means that they need to bump up the salary structure for coaches including Bowles, they need to do it.
Frankly, I would offer more money and a title promotion to Rodgers to try to get him back.
January 25th, 2025 at 3:02 am
F him on to the next
January 25th, 2025 at 3:03 am
IMHO he’s gone from man to admire to most disliked person in Tampa. You know what they say about karma. Could have handled so much better. Not going to miss him as much now!
Thank you Glazers for trying, just hire the best candidate that keeps the same LA style offense. Resign Chris Godwin and we’ll score over 30 a game in 2025.
I would think give Chris, Mikes same 20 mil per year contract. Slight discount to market. Maybe index to inflation for the year. 1A & 1B.
January 25th, 2025 at 3:10 am
Looking forward to discussing who might be his replacement honestly.
Still like to know what the whole story was, factually, but the more I read the more I think its GOOD he’s gone.
I imagine we’ll all get around to discussing new O.C. candidates soon enough. Should be interesting.
January 25th, 2025 at 3:16 am
I don’t hate Coen and certainly understand why he accepted the HC job. Becoming a HC in the NFL was a dream of his and there was no guarantee he’d receive another HC job offer in the future. I like Trevor Lawrence and would like to see him reach his potential. So I do hope Coen helps him with that.
That said, Coen should publicly apologize for the unprofessional manner in which he left. It was totally unnecessary for him to act in the snake-like manner he did to the players, fans, and the management who gave him the opportunity as they did.
January 25th, 2025 at 4:08 am
It could’ve been worse, he could’ve signed with the Saints! Think Todd has called him to arrange joint practices this summer?
January 25th, 2025 at 4:10 am
Don’t want to hear about him anymore – no longer a Buc. Let’s hear about who we are looking at for OC or what Mike Evans is having for Breakfast. Go Bucs
January 25th, 2025 at 4:40 am
Lol they’re normally a joint practice partner for us. I totally forgot about that. Talk about awkward.
January 25th, 2025 at 4:51 am
Wow…
January 25th, 2025 at 4:57 am
ish happens…what do you do…back to the drawing board.
Cant blame a man for chasing money. I just hate it for him because they are WAAAYY behind our Bucs in talent. So whatever.
January 25th, 2025 at 5:07 am
Reading all this, Coen has a pattern. Seems to be a man that doesn’t stay around long in a team position to build strong relationships with the players, staff, …
I had that gut feeling when he began doing the cutesy plays and then the play in the last game. His mindset was no longer with the Bucs. He was rehearsing for another job. He got it. Good for him. But the way he went around it at the end was a lot like his play calling at the end.
While others got a few interviews, Coen only got one. Says a lot of what others already know in the league. They were not interested. I give the Glazers a lot of credit going out on a limb for him. When Coen is looking for another job in 2 years, Bucs need to remember this moment and never let him back in.
Now onto getting a really good OC. Just thinking, what about former FSU Jimbo or former Buc Mike Alstott? Deion? Warrick Dunn would be great, but I think he is involved with the Falcons franchise.
January 25th, 2025 at 5:52 am
I knew he was already out the door when we played commanders. The playcall was fishy.
January 25th, 2025 at 7:28 am
I bet his wife is calling the shots. Women control 50% of the money and 100% of the uhhhhh, you know.
January 25th, 2025 at 8:01 am
Willie G, cut the crap
January 25th, 2025 at 8:02 am
This is not a good guy.
LIttle integrity.
Did us a favor.
January 25th, 2025 at 8:21 am
Yeah, slept a couple times and now over it. He is just an OC, there are plenty out there. And the Jags are still the Jags.
January 25th, 2025 at 8:36 am
They probably started looking for new OC a couple days ago. Excited to see who it will be. New chapter.
January 25th, 2025 at 8:38 am
Seems to me if he has a history of this, Bowles and the Bucs should of known and expected this. All the more reason NOT to be so angry.
January 25th, 2025 at 9:07 am
The biggest satisfaction would see the Jaguars go 5-12 next year, similar to Carolina and Dave Canales. With that said, no one blamed Canalas when he left because he left with class. Can’t say the same for Coen.
January 25th, 2025 at 9:29 am
Exactly right, AlabamaBucsFan. Canales left with class and always speaks highly of Todd and the Bucs.
January 25th, 2025 at 10:18 am
yw.
January 25th, 2025 at 10:39 am
Buddha pointed out Coen’s history with a meticulous resume and the conclusion that Coen has at best a 15% chance of success. I do not disagree.
But if you think this through it just means Coen bets favorites. In horse race gambling it’s called betting “the chalk”. My bookie father aways chided me for betting “the chalk”.
Coen simply does not have enough confidence in himself to truly continue his success, operative word is ENOUGH. He simply bet the favorite! He’s well aware of all the “red flags” that Buddha last night and many here this morning are pointing out. He’s aware other teams didn’t come calling.
And so HONESTLY figure the odds. Take the money and power now…a sure thing, or stick around and continue to improve his rep, something up for debate.
Take the job now…CERTAIN…trust your talent and eventuallyl make even more money with a GOOD franchise like the Bucs…not as sure.
He simply didn’t wish to take that chance for himself or his family. Since I’m a chalk better myself I can’t really get too critical.
January 25th, 2025 at 11:27 am
Eric Says:
January 25th, 2025 at 1:29 am
Every person criticizing the man should take a look in the mirror and ask themselves, what would I have done! Any man worth his man hood would say I would take the HC over the OC position every time! Thanks for the season coach!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Would you let your Daughter or Mother marry a man like this? He’d break their hearts via text.(If he’s not at the Doctors office of coarse)
January 25th, 2025 at 11:28 am
Eric Says:
January 25th, 2025 at 1:29 am
Every person criticizing the man should take a look in the mirror and ask themselves, what would I have done! Any man worth his man hood would say I would take the HC over the OC position every time!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Would you let your Daughter or Mother marry a man like this? He’d break their hearts via text.(If he’s not at the Doctors office of coarse)
January 25th, 2025 at 11:29 am
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
oops!
January 25th, 2025 at 1:07 pm
It dawned on me just now, and this will be unpopular with Triggerfish.
What if Liam’s year with Bowles’ lousy pass defense showed him enough to know his bailing his boss out every week was unsustainable? It had to be frustrating to know if you didn’t ring up at least 30 points you were gonna lose.
January 25th, 2025 at 1:08 pm
Why on earth would that be moderated?
January 25th, 2025 at 1:42 pm
heyjude Says:
“Just thinking, what about former FSU Jimbo or former Buc Mike Alstott? Deion? Warrick Dunn would be great…”
.
.
Anybody but Deion. I couldn’t take looking at him in press conferences wearing his sunglasses and bling, dressed like he thinks he’s 25 years old still.
January 25th, 2025 at 5:17 pm
Its just that we were ALL so glad to have Coen, thrilled, overjoyed, grateful, optimistic. He was glad, he said he was going to stay in Tampa, he accepted a huge raise. He spoke with Baker and others and talked about 2025. Then the next day time to sign and he ghosts the Bucs over and over, missing appointments. He knew that it specified no further meetings with Jags. He spent the day in full communication with Shad Khan and he used the Bucs new offer to strong arm Jacksonville into Ben Johnson numbers. He basically lied to the Glazers, Jason Licht, Greenberg and Todd Bowles. These are all decent people. So we are all disappointed and hurt as we thought he was part of the Bucs organization. Anyway, Coen’s lack of integrity will not be forgotten year in and year out.