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Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly set to hire Buccaneers OC Liam Coen as next head coach
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- Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly set to hire Buccaneers OC Liam Coen as next head coach
Just when the Jacksonville Jaguars thought they were out, they got pulled right back in.
The Jaguars are on the verge of making Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen the team's next head coach, according to multiple reports.
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Coen's impending hiring comes after a tumultuous 48 hours for the franchise.
Coen initially declined Jacksonville's second interview on Wednesday, opting to reportedly stay with the Buccaneers on a deal that would make him one of the league's highest-paid assistant coaches.
Aug 23, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen against the Miami Dolphins during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
ANALYSIS: Jacksonville Jaguars firing Trent Baalke underscores coaching search failures
Hours after Coen was reportedly out of the running for the Jaguars, owner Shad Khan announced that the team had parted ways with general manager Trent Baalke. By Thursday evening, Coen's name resurfaced and reported as interviewing with the team. Before the clock struck midnight, reports surfaced that Coen was informing Tampa coaches that he intended to take the job in Jacksonville.
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According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Coen's hiring is expected to be announced Friday morning.
The news of Coen's reversal kicked off dramatically Thursday evening with the Buccaneers being left by the wayside, reportedly ignored for several hours.
Per NFL Media's Tom Pelissero, Coen informed the Jaguars on Wednesday that he was staying in Tampa on a new contract, "but after the firing of GM Trent Baalke, the Jags reached out to see if Coen would reconsider. Now, Coen is in Jacksonville and appears to be headed towards a deal," the NFL insider said via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Tampa Bay Times Buccaneers beat writer Rick Stroud said Coen had not spoken to the Buccaneers since Wednesday afternoon.
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"They tried to reach him and have been unable to. Instead of signing his contract, which was a formality, he secretly traveled to Jacksonville to meet with Jags owner Shad Khan," Stroud reported on X.
Regardless of how it got here and though it has not been made official, it appears the Jaguars are on the verge of hiring the team's next head coach.
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 coach search: Liam Coen reverses, taking deal
