Liam Coen No. 3
November 18th, 2024
Sought-after
If Dave Canales can get a gig as a head coach in the NFL (his Stinking Panthers are just one game behind the Bucs in the NFC South) then why wouldn’t Liam Coen?
“This Joe” believes Coen likely will be a head coach somewhere next year, NFL or college. Coen is impressive and really only has had one hiccup of a not-so-good game as the Bucs’ play-caller. That was last week against the 49ers.
And it wasn’t like Coen’s off day resulted in a blowout.
Last week Joe brought word how The Athletic had Coen on a watchlist for a new head coach in the NFL. So did another national publication.
Conor Orr of SI.com put Bill Belichick atop his list. Second is Buffalo offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Third? That would be Coen.
“He’s on the right track,” Mark Whipple, a highly respected NFL quarterbacks coach, and longtime college head coach and offensive coordinator told me about Liam Coen.
“He’s a great listener. He has a good rapport with Baker Mayfield. He always took great notes. The first year he coached quarterbacks [under me at UMass], that guy went on to be All-MAC. He ran the meetings. He’s attentive, detail-oriented. He left me and went to Maine, did a great job with the quarterback there and got in with the right group in the NFL. Most importantly, Liam played the position and he understands these things as it relates to the quarterback.”
Despite the fact that Coen’s Buccaneers lost their top three receiving targets to injury, Tampa Bay has maintained a top-third offense in the NFL and has challenged the likes of the 49ers, Chiefs, Falcons and Ravens during Tampa’s recent losing streak.
For people who may scoff at this, the math is sort of similar to Canales last year. Canales had a history of solid work with quarterbacks. And he revived Baker Mayfield’s career.
Always remember and never forget, the NFL is a quarterback league. Show an ability to work with and/or fix quarterbacks and you’ll always have work in the NFL.
Well, Coen was the guy who helped take Mayfield off the scrap heap and turned him into a productive signal-caller with the Rams. That begat Mayfield signing with the Bucs.
And as Orr has pointed out, Coen has found a way for the Tampa Bay offense to be productive without its two biggest stars. And, Coen has overseen a revamped offensive line that might quietly be among the better front lines in the league.
Those elements get the attention of owners looking for offense.
Oh, and Coen’s work with Mayfield? Well, Mayfield had a career year with Canales. He’s having an even better season with Coen.
And let’s be real: While the Bucs season is on the brink of collapse, the problem has not been offense.
November 18th, 2024 at 7:15 am
Mayfield revived Mayfield’s career…..He finally matured into a QB that can manage a game as well as carry a team if needed. I think Coen would be a great head coach with the Buccaneers!
November 18th, 2024 at 7:22 am
Maybe Mayfield is a good QB and just needed a team that let him be himself. So if we get a new OC next year Mayfield will have even a better better year?? Give Mayfield his due.
November 18th, 2024 at 7:29 am
Looks like Mayfield just needed a good home and he is more than welcome here. Bowles has to go anyway, might as well promote Liam Coen to HC. Nothing better than a smart HC. Licht can focus on finding a good D.C.
November 18th, 2024 at 7:40 am
“He’s really only had one hiccup of a not-so-good game as the Bucs’ play-caller. That was last week against the 49ers.” I would throw the Denver game in the “not so good” game called as well.
November 18th, 2024 at 7:42 am
Let’s not forget the last place run offense under Canales has risen to a top 10 run offense under Coen
November 18th, 2024 at 7:53 am
What about Ben Johnson out of Detroit? Given that the Lions can boat race teams like they are playing Todd Bowles defense almost every week and can ring up beaucoup points, shouldn’t he be mentioned on this list?
November 18th, 2024 at 8:00 am
Blunderbowles will hover near the .500 trademark of his coaching.
November 18th, 2024 at 8:05 am
The Glazers fired Gruden because they feared that Raheem Morris might turn into Mike Tomlinson 2.0 and were afraid he would be hired away. Let’s hope the logic applies to Coen and his predecessor “Bad decisions Bowles”.
November 18th, 2024 at 8:30 am
I would rather like to see and test a young and brilliant mind of Liam Coen become head coach rather than risk losing him. The Bucs would be at the bottom of the NFL if it was not for Coen’s offense. I am sure the Glazers realizes this. Bowles was a great Defensive Coordinator but he has proved twice, he’s not going to lead a team to the Super bowl as a head coach.
November 18th, 2024 at 8:47 am
I had thought the Glazers would go for the big hire with a proven record in Belichick, not so sure anymore. Bill is 73 years old, not exactly a long term solution. Coen has a good connection with Baker, and like Joe says, it’s always about the QB. Wouldn’t it be easier having to only hire a defensive staff? Find the right D.C. should be the mantra after this season. Fix what’s broke, not what’s working. This may well turn out to be an interesting offseason. I’d hate to see the Bucs lose a good young offensive mind for a grumby old man in Belichick.
November 18th, 2024 at 9:06 am
Joe should do a poll for 2025 Head Coaching job:
a) Bowles
b) Coen
c) Billy Cheat
d) someone else
BBBB
November 18th, 2024 at 9:11 am
I really like and respect Todd Bowles. He’s a good man and a good defensive coach. But, his head coaching record is what it is. Below average. Without going into his entire history as a head coach, this year is indicative of his overall body of work as a head coach. The situational coaching decisions, clock management deficiencies, the many examples of not having the team ready to play. Using his defenders in ways not suited to their strengths and abilities. Numerous times he wouldn’t take the kill shot and show his team he believes in them etc. It seems his players love & respect him but, we see a lot of defensive freelancing, lack of fire and confidence, and bad body language from his players. Is Coen the right guy to be our next head coach? I don’t know but, this offense is doing a great job with a lot of injuries on that side of the ball yet still producing, unlike on the defensive side. Coen seems to be as capable as anyone else that may be a candidate.
November 18th, 2024 at 9:24 am
Is there much excitement for a 4-6 coordinator with no head coaching experience?
I am pretty sure Dave Canales killed those chances.
November 18th, 2024 at 9:27 am
History would suggest Coen would be the guy if they move on from Bowles. Unless Mike McDaniel is in the bricks, Coen is the only viable hire on McVay tree….unless they decide to go to the tippy top of the McVay/shanahan tree and bring Chuckles back.
November 18th, 2024 at 9:33 am
AlabamaBucsFan Says:
I would rather like to see and test a young and brilliant mind of Liam Coen become head coach rather than risk losing him.
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If I was GM I would consider promoting Coen to HC if that was the only way to keep him here. But that doesn’t come without risk either. A different skillset is needed as HC then what is needed as an OC. And if he became a HC it would take away some time and attention he was able to have on offense.
I would instead try to keep him here in Tampa by promoting him to “Assistant Head Coach” like Licht has done in the past with some other assistant coaches. And give him a large raise in salary.
November 18th, 2024 at 9:53 am
Baking with Coen – Great idea about the poll for 2025 HC!
November 18th, 2024 at 10:30 am
Fire bowles and promote Coen to head coach. Don’t let a winner go out the door.
November 18th, 2024 at 10:46 am
Ben Johnson as the HC and Robert Salhes as the DC go bucs!!
November 18th, 2024 at 10:49 am
If Coen is gone but Bowles remains Glazers will have a serious problem on their hands. Coen is literally the only reason this fan base is excited about the team
November 18th, 2024 at 11:14 am
Dude. Please stop talking about Canales as a head coach. Baker deserves to have him stay in Tampa.
November 18th, 2024 at 11:15 am
I meant Coen, lol
November 18th, 2024 at 11:23 am
Can’t Coen get a contract extension and keep him as OC? Why does he have to be a head coach? I don’t think Canales is doing any good so he’s a bad example. I still maintain that Tepper hired Canales just so he could steal something away from Carolina’s competition.
November 18th, 2024 at 11:55 am
Joe: “If Dave Canales can get a gig as a head coach in the NFL (his Stinking Panthers are just one game behind the Bucs in the NFC South) then why wouldn’t Liam Coen?”
Why? Because the Panthers are a mess. A candidate for a HC job with only a single year of experience as a coordinator, whether offensive or defensive, simply does not have the big picture experience to run the whole team. IMHO
And to your point about the Panthers are only a game behind the Bucs in the division, consider that when Canales was hired he was coming from a team that was a breath away from making the Divisional round of the playoffs. Coen would be coming from another bottom feeding team.
November 18th, 2024 at 12:32 pm
I think most rational fans see the big picture and also get just because your a good to great coordinator doesn’t translate to being a good HC. We are seeing that right before our eyes. Look say what you want about Bowles but as a DC his defense have bin good. Now his defenses as a HC have not bin as good. We have no idea if coen will be a good HC just causes a good OC. I don’t want to lose coen as a OC but also if he gets promoted to HC then does terrible that wouldn’t be good. Trickery you know. All I know is bowels defense smothered the most talented offense on the biggest stage so his defense doesn’t suck totally only when he has bin HC. We don’t win a SB with the defense of both 02 and 20
November 18th, 2024 at 12:51 pm
Cause Coen doesn’t have a best friend as a gm like Canales did #!!
November 18th, 2024 at 2:52 pm
BucsFanSince1996 Says: “I would instead try to keep him here in Tampa by promoting him to “Assistant Head Coach” like Licht has done in the past with some other assistant coaches. And give him a large raise in salary.”
Never considered that…..make sense, great suggestion.
November 18th, 2024 at 2:59 pm
Ideal situation would be if Bowles retires. Coen goes to head coach then let’s pull some real defensive genius. You can’t really blame Bowles. He’s literally playing with defensive and offensive for that matter, second third and practice squad players.
November 18th, 2024 at 4:04 pm
I agree with much of Bucs And Them‘s evaluation of bowles. Some fans seem to have this dilemma when evaluating bowles. It’s not a choice between bowles and having no HC (which is possibly the only worse option, though not a given). It’s a choice between bowles and literally anyone else. If we assume (even though it’s not true) every team has an OC & DC, there’s 64 choices right there! Is bowles a better HC than all of them? Must assuredly not. So why stick with the inferior option? Outside of the Super Bowl, which I will remind you he was not HC for, he doesn’t have some long track record of success here (a la Belichick) to justify a long leash.
Would Coen be a perfect HC, best in the league? Probably not. But would he be better than bowles? I have NO doubt. And if we thought it was difficult landing a quality OC after last season, just wait if Coen takes a HC job elsewhere (which he likely will). We’ll be picking from the bottom of the barrel. I would like Ben Johnson from the Lions too, but he had a chance to come over last season and wasn’t interested. He’s made it known he’s going to be very picky when taking a HC job, and that doesn’t scream Bucs to me (D needs completely rebuilt & restocked, ME a year older & streak broken, CG needing a new contract off another major injury).
November 18th, 2024 at 8:53 pm
To a few in the comments …Bowles is both HC and DC…so what do you mean
he’s a great DC? but a bad HC ? they are one and the same….the schematics
of that defense is orchestrated from him…