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Jacksonville Jaguars coach search: Liam Coen, Robert Saleh, Patrick Graham get in-person interviews
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- Jacksonville Jaguars coach search: Liam Coen, Robert Saleh, Patrick Graham get in-person interviews
The Chicago Bears made the latest move in the NFL coaching carousel, hiring former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and leaving the Jacksonville Jaguars , among others, looking elsewhere to find their next head coach.
The Jaguars announced Monday evening that they've scheduled in-person interviews with three candidates: Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham , former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen .
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Jaguars coaching search live tracker: Updates on interview process, who's next
All three interviews will take place this week. As of print time Tuesday, no other candidates were announced by the team to be scheduled for in-person interviews.
According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the interviews will begin Wednesday with Coen before moving to Graham on Thursday and Saleh on Friday.
A day after the team's season-finale loss to the Indianapolis Colts , Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired head coach Doug Pederson , retaining general manager Trent Baalke to be part of the team's head-coach search and GM moving forward.
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"I will collaborate with General Manager Trent Baalke and others, within and close to our organization, to hire a leader who shares my ambition and is ready to seize the extraordinary opportunity we will offer in Jacksonville," Khan said in a statement shortly after the season.
Soon after, the Jaguars began working to bring in 10 candidates for initial interviews. The team interviewed all candidates except former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, virtually.
The full list of candidates included: Johnson , Graham, Coen, Saleh, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady , Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken , Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores , Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore , Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo .
When can the Jaguars hire their next head coach?
The Jaguars won't have to wait long to hire the team's next head coach.
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The Jaguars, and all 32 teams, must comply with the league's Rooney Rule, which dictates that franchises must conduct in-person interviews with at least two minority or women candidates.
The team has already completed one in-person interview with Saleh and will need to interview one more candidate to make any hire.
Who is Buccaneers OC Liam Coen?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen is pictured during training camp at AdventHealth Training Center.
Coen entered the league in 2018 with the Los Angeles Rams as the team's assistant wide receivers coach after eight years in the collegiate ranks. After spending 2018-19 coaching receivers with the Rams, Coen was moved to assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020.
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Coen began looping in his coaching career over the next few years, jumping from college to the pros. He spent the 2021 season with Kentucky as the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach before going back to L.A. to become the team's offensive coordinator in 2022 and finally jumping back to coach Kentucky in the same role in 2023.
Coen became Tampa Bay 's offensive coordinator ahead of this season.
Coen helped quarterback Baker Mayfield put together his best season statistically since being drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Browns in 2018. Mayfield threw for 4,600 yards, completing 71.4% of his passes for 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
He set career numbers for completion percentage, yards and touchdowns this year.
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Who is Raiders DC Patrick Graham?
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham talk during their game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Graham, 45, has an extensive coaching history in the NFL dating back to 2009 when he began as a coaching assistant with the New England Patriots .
Graham didn't take long to move up the ranks, changing positions multiple times including to defensive assistant (2010), linebackers coach (2011), defensive line coach (2012-13) and back to linebackers coach (2014-15) before moving on from New England .
Graham continued his career with the New York Giants as the team's defensive line coach (2016) before moving on to the Green Bay Packers as a linebackers coach and run game coordinator (2018) before finally becoming a defensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins in 2019.
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Graham left his gig with the Dolphins to become the defensive coordinator under then-head coach Joe Judge for two years (2020-21). He became the Raiders' DC in 2022.
Through a turbulent season in Las Vegas , Graham's defense remained respectable, ranking 14th in yards per game allowed (331.1), 13rd in rushing yards allowed per game (116.9) and 15th in passing yards allowed per game (216.2).
Who is former NYJ HC Robert Saleh?
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh looks on from the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers.
Saleh, 45, was fired five games into the 2024 season after nearly four years as the head coach for the Jets. He finished his tenure with New York with a 20-36 overall record.
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Saleh began his coaching career in the NFL as a defensive intern with the Houston Texans in 2005. He was promoted twice to defensive quality control coach (2006-08) and assistant linebackers coach (2009-10) before moving on to the Seattle Seahawks as the team's defensive quality control coach (2011-13) under former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
Saleh then moved on, joining former Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley in Jacksonville as the team's linebackers coach (2014-16). Saleh left after Bradley was let go at the end of the 2016 season, joining the San Francisco 49ers as the team's defensive coordinator (2017-20) before finally becoming the Jets' head coach in 2021.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars to in-person interview three for head coach job
