JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a wild week that saw firings, name withdrawals, and hirings, the Jacksonville Jaguars have officially introduced Liam Coen as their next head coach.
At a press conference on Monday, Coen, alongside Shad Khan, fielded questions from the media about the future direction of the team, potential roster construction, filling the GM vacancy, and much more.
Recommended Videos
RELATED: Grading the hire of Liam Coen. Did Jaguars get it right? | Jaguars hire Liam Coen to lead team as next head coach: timeline of the hiring, and Coen’s bio
“This is not a moment of regret,” Khan said before introducing Coen. “This is a moment of progress, optimism, and confidence that we will achieve the ultimate goal if we find the right man...that man is Liam Coen.”
Khan went on to describe Coen as “bright” and “ambitious,” and emphasized that after interviewing 10 candidates, it was clear that the man tapped to lead the Jaguars next season was the right answer.
“Quarterback development is the bedrock of the modern NFL, and Liam delivers that wherever he goes,” he said.
Once it was turned over to him, Coen thanked plenty of people for getting him to this point in his career, including Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, Shad’s son, Tony, and former Jags player Tony Boselli before diving into his plans for the team’s future.
“We want to play fast, fundamentally sound, [be] situational masters, and be tough mentally and physically,” Coen said. “It will always be about the players...players over plays.”
He continued to say that developing Trevor Lawrence will be an integral part of his job, adding that he remembered watching the Jags QB play the position at a “high level” as a freshman in high school.
“Fast forward to now and [you ask] how do we make Trevor and this offense as dynamic and as explosive as we can be...I cannot respect Trevor’s toughness, talent, and work ethic more than I do, but every part of this is about improvement.”
Coen also gushed over the talent on the defensive side of the ball, saying that while the team’s record was 4-13, “this is not a 4-win football team.”
RELATED: Jags fans excited for new head coach, hope he can unlock Lawrence’s full potential | Jaguars fans express mixed emotions over firing of Trent Baalke | Looking at candidates who the Jaguars could target to replace GM Trent Baalke
“We got talented dudes on defense,” he said. “We got multiple guys up from that can do good things, we just have to put them in a position to be successful...it starts up front...you gotta run the football and stop the run.”
Regarding the search for a new general manager, owner Shad Khan said the team hopes to have all the details ironed out by Feb. 28.
“We’re going to let Liam build his staff, but we’re hoping to be done by that date,” he said.
Finally, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan made an appearance at the press conference, and let the Jags' new head coach know just how much his arrival means to the team and the city.
“On behalf of the city, we welcome you to Jacksonville, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have you here,” she said. “You’re going to love the people, and they’re going to love you.”
Coen’s arrival in Jacksonville has been met with plenty of excitement as the team looks to rebound after posting a paltry 4-13 record this past season under the leadership of former head coach Doug Pederson and former general manager Trent Baalke.
“My dad would be pretty excited about this.” 🥹#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/ZjL7KlpXEe
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 27, 2025
Jacksonville’s new head coach spent last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he led the offense to top 5 numbers in multiple statistics, including overall points passing yards per game, and rushing yards per game.
Before spending time in Tampa, Coen worked with the Los Angeles Rams and the University of Kentucky as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Now, he will be tasked with injecting life into a Jaguars offense that ranked in the bottom half of the league in yards per game, passing, rushing, and scoring.
According to Fox Sports NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, Coen could also play a large role in deciding who fills the GM role left vacant by the recent firing of Baalke.
“Sources say Shad Khan is so impressed with Coen that the two will collaborate on the team’s new GM,” Schultz posted on X. “Coen will have a real say in the process, and in turn, the direction of the franchise.”
The #Jaguars elected to go head coach first, then GM, just like the #Jets. The thought process from Shad Khan, sources say, was that an offensive innovator like Liam Coen would be able to attract the type of GM Jacksonville needs to help build a championship caliber team.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 24, 2025
In… https://t.co/rI7CG3ZGTH pic.twitter.com/hzPZoZLjwB
Ethan Waugh is serving as interim general manager, but if the organization decides to tap someone else to fill the position, the next major task for the Coen regime will be deciding what to do with the fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft, which is scheduled to begin on April 24.