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Jacksonville Jaguars banking on Liam Coen to end streak of short-term head coaches
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- Jacksonville Jaguars banking on Liam Coen to end streak of short-term head coaches
For all the optimism Jacksonville Jaguars fans are feeling about head coach Liam Coen , along with five other NFL franchises bringing in new coaches during this hiring cycle, the reality is they have no better than a 50-50 shot to make it past a third season.
Since the NFL free agency era began in 1993, job insecurity throughout the league shows a history where head coaches last an average of 4.1 years.
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An astounding 108 head coaches out of 225 (48 percent) failed to last beyond three seasons, while 58 (26 percent) managed to stay on the job at least five years.
The Jaguars' first two head coaches, Tom Coughlin(1995-2002) and Jack Del Rio(2003-11), bucked the NFL trend by lasting eight seasons and eight-plus seasons, respectively. Only 25 other coaches stayed on with their teams that long in the past three decades, and Coughlin did it a second time during his 12-year tenure with the New York Giants while winning two Super Bowls.
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But those first two Jaguars long-term coaches were hired by original owner Wayne Weaver . His successor, Shad Khan, hasn't been nearly as fortunate picking the right coaches.
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The average tenure of Khan's five hires is a measly 2.6 seasons. The 74-year-old owner has been frustrated about his coaching turnover, especially after publicly stating with confidence following the hires of Urban Meyer and Doug Pederson that he finally "got it right ."
Coen had no regrets about jumping around between Kentucky and the NFL for the past six seasons. Now he's desperate for his family to plant roots in one spot for a change, saying: "But I'll be in the NFL [in Jacksonville] hopefully for a while."
Of course, a lot of newly hired coaches believe the same thing. Unfortunately, most of them soon learn how the NFL's brutal competitive nature pushes them out the door quicker than they ever anticipated.
The Jaguars have had their fill of short-term coaches who haven't won enough. Khan is banking on Coen finally becoming his breakthrough hire.
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Coen completes Rhode Island sweep
With the Jaguars' hire of Coen, the first person from Rhode Island to become an NFL head coach, it means the Ocean State, with a population of only 1.1 million, can now lay claim to producing head coaches in all four major pro sports leagues — NFL, MLB, NBA and the NHL.
New Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen speaks after being introduced during a press conference Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Coen, born in Warwick, Rhode Island, and raised in South Kingston, will have a tough act to follow when looking at the resumes of other pro head coaches from his state.
Joe Mazzulla, the current head coach of the Boston Celtics and a Johnston, Rhode Island, native, won an NBA title last year in just his second season. He was the first NBA head coach from the Ocean State.
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Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, a native of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, was the first MLB manager from his state when he took over the Twins in 2019. Under his guidance, Minnesota has made three playoff appearances in six seasons, and Baldelli became the youngest AL Manager of the Year in his first season at age 38.
No Rhode Island native is currently serving as head coach in the NHL, but David Quinnfrom Cranston was the San Jose Sharks' boss until he got fired last year. He also coached the New York Rangers (2018-21) and is now a Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach.
Quinn is the second Cranston native to serve as an NHL head coach, following Jack Capuano. He led the New York Islanders for seven seasons (2010-17) to a 227-192-64 record and had three playoff appearances.
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But with Coen now an NFL head coach, it gives Rhode Island the distinction of having one of its native citizens rise to the highest coaching level in every major pro sport.
NFL trivia
Who is the only active NFL head coach to have been a player under Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid? Answer at the bottom.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner walks off the field last week after the AFC Championship win over the Buffalo Bills with Verlon Dorminey, his high school coach at Trinity Christian.
Trinity's Conner chases another Super Bowl ring
Timing is everything in the NFL.
When Chamarri Conner was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, the Trinity Christian product had to know with Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback and Steve Spagnuolocoordinating the defense that he might have hit the jackpot.
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Conner has made the most of an ideal opportunity, elevating into a starting role late in his rookie season and remains a fixture in the Chiefs' secondary. KC has played him at both safety and slot corner.
The 24-year-old Conner started nine games in 2024 and had 77 tackles and two interceptions, including a 29-yard return off a Josh Allen pick against the Buffalo Bills in a 30-21 November loss.
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"Everywhere he goes, I've never heard one coach say anything negative about [Conner]," said Trinity coach Verlon Dorminey, who attended the Chiefs' 32-29 win last week over Buffalo in the AFC Championship. "He's just a kid that everybody loves. They loved him at Virginia Tech when he wore No. 1. He's a head-hunter, but he's a smart kid."
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Following KC's Super Bowl win as a rookie, Conner will now be pursuing another Lombardi trophy on Feb. 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans .
If the Chiefs win, Conner would join former University Christian tight end Dwayne Carswelland ex-Northwestern High offensive tackle Sam Davisas the only players from Jacksonville high schools to earn at least two Super Bowl rings. Carswell won his rings with the Denver Broncos ' in 1997 and '98, while Davis won four rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s.
NFL trivia answer
With the Jaguars' Doug Pederson fired, the only active NFL head coach to have played under Chiefs' coach Andy Reid is Demeco Ryans of the Houston Texans . He was a middle linebacker and leading tackler on Reid's last Philadelphia Eagles team in 2012. Pederson was a backup QB on Reid's first Eagles' team in 1999.
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Gfrenette@jacksonville.com ; (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars need Liam Coen to break short-term coaching trend
