How Did Mike Evans Find Out Liam Coen Was Leaving?
February 2nd, 2025
Who told him?
Joe has noticed NFL players just love to post cryptic social media posts and then watch fans spend hours if not days trying to figure out what the player is trying to say.
Devin White was one of those guys. You never knew what he meant from any of his social media posts. Well, Mike Evans ain’t that kind of guy.
Evans, the future Hall of Fame receiver, said over a week ago he posted a Bible verse on Instagram. Evans said many of his followers thought Evans was trying a sly way to tell people then-Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen was gone, or that Evans would find divine guidance to help him survive unscathed through another offensive coordinator change.
“I don’t do that,” Evans told Joe’s good friend, local sports media icon Rock Riley from the Pro Bowl practices in Orlando yesterday.
However, Evans did say someone left a comment on his Instagram post saying Coen in fact left the Bucs. So it was a fan that tipped off Evans that Coen was gone. No one from the Bucs. Not Coen, either. But a fan.
This is how Bucs WR Mike Evans found out Liam Coen was taking the Jacksonville Jaguars HC job. pic.twitter.com/WrZWB6nXKr
— rock riley (@realrockriley) February 1, 2025
February 2nd, 2025 at 1:52 am
Weird.
February 2nd, 2025 at 2:36 am
It sounded like Jags people were saying Coen was leaving even before Bucs knew.
February 2nd, 2025 at 3:23 am
Stroud reported Coen contacted Baker and many of the dudes on the OL shortly after the announcement was made. They were hanging on the beach in the Bahamas at the time. Really though we are kind of getting into the weeds on this Coen stuff. He is no longer one of the good guys and holds little revelance.
February 2nd, 2025 at 5:03 am
Makes sense to what Mike said. Sounds like he and others learned about Coen leaving like the rest of us did. Learning now that the quote was only coincidental to Coen leaving.
Mike’s Bible verse was an encouragement for others to not worry about things they cannot control. It could be interpreted in different ways and for disruptions happening in our own lives. I was one that took it in meaning about Coen too. Glad he clarified it and the quote being much more purposeful to all.
dbbuc711 – Agreed. The Bucs were left in the dark while the Jags knew.
February 2nd, 2025 at 5:09 am
Can we put Coen and the Jags in the rear view mirror? The defense is the problem that needs the most attention.
February 2nd, 2025 at 5:45 am
I aint buying that one. I would think Mikes agent has a pretty good idea what happens throughout the NFL. and would have Mike on speed dial.
Geez
Go Bucs!
February 2nd, 2025 at 6:01 am
All of this Coen stuff, I aint even cared too much about it. He’s a goofy dude now that Ive seen a little more of him with the jags. All good, we all can be goofy when we want. He chased money and opportunity, cant blame him. And yeah he kind of did us dirty but thats ok. Things happen for a reason. Like Big Mike says, its in God’s hands….he works in mysterious ways.
One thing i know, Coen does NOT have the talent down there that we have been blessed with….like I said, all good.
February 2nd, 2025 at 6:12 am
As the saying goes, “All’s well that ends well!”
It’s very possible the Bucs actually upgraded their OC spot. YES Coen was good, very good, but not elite, at least yet. Bucky started 3 of 17 games. Hindsight is 20/20 but even the fans were calling for Bucky to move past R White (a solid back) into the starting role long before Coen figured it out.
Let a Barry Sanders clone, actually better YPC when you compare their rookie seasons, sit on the bench?
Again I give Coen a pass on doing what’s best for his career and family.
There was no real harm done to the Bucs and again they may actually improve at OC.
What was dastardly IMO was trying to poach assistants!!! You don’t leave a team in the lurch with no OC and then during the search start trying to steal their assistants. That was TOTALLY unnecessary and brain dead from a P.R. standpoint.
Coen had made MANY stops in his career already, is there any way to justify not bringing in somebody he knew from a previous stop besides the franchise he had just left in the lurch in questionable fashion?
February 2nd, 2025 at 7:36 am
SPBucsFan, if Coen really wanted one Bucs offensive coach or at least wanted to interview him, he could have asked the coach in question if he would like to talk about the OC position, the Bucs would be obliged to allow the request to be made, albeit it is a OC position in name only as Coen intends to call the offensive plays. Plus these OC requests could be turned down by the coach as well. The fact that he only requested to talk to the Buc OL coached for a “lateral” move is telling. H e must have known the requests would be shot down. Yes, from a Bucs fan POV it does seem to be brain dead but it could make Coen and the Jags look better from their fan bases’ POV or even the national media as someone can say the Bucs are being a bit petty which some Jag fans are already claiming. I suspect it was simply a below average damage control measure. Coen will go after an OC though, perhaps his buddy Peetz out in Seattle who was mentioned for a job in Tampa??? Anyhow as I stated above, there is a good chance all the players on the Bucs O coaching staff may not want to go and follow Coen. OTOH, the Bucs did let a few guys follow Canales to Carolina though according to various media sources we fans all read and listen to, these coaches were “allowed” to go. Time to put this Coen garbage to rest and lets see who the Bucs get to coach the DL.
February 2nd, 2025 at 7:50 am
Might i inject another…change your scheme Todd…let the pass rushers rush…and when you put Big V in on offense, you hand him the ball right there….nobody is stopping him…come on man
February 2nd, 2025 at 7:54 am
Stpetebucsfan, I agree with that ole saying, “alls well that’s ends” well and the other saying is “you don’t bite than hand that feed you.” Before the Bucs went out and got Coen he was a no name that most had never heard of. The Bucs not only gave him a chance but, gave him the tools, Mayfield, a couple of coaches, an already seasoned offense and drafted a couple of great pieces to be successful. As was said ever since he left, no one blames him from taking a deal like JV however, it’s the way he did it. I mean, what was wrong with just calling management, a few players and coaches and say I got a good deal I am gonna take, don’t just go silent and as you said come back and ask for a favor in if he can take a couple of your coaches. Again I don’t thin there’s a coach in the NFL that wouldn’t taking that deal
February 2nd, 2025 at 7:56 am
Emmanwori, then trade back into the first for Revel….then Skattebo
February 2nd, 2025 at 10:30 am
@FortMyersDave
Great post full of excellent points. Especially re perspective. What we as Buc fans hate is playing well in the minds of Jags fans.