of jacksonville jaguars We have a new head coach. Liam Cohen, offensive coordinator buccaneersleaves Tampa Bay, becoming the 10th coach in Jags history. It should have been a relatively easy hire and an easy step up for one of the most promising coordinators in the NFL. Instead, it's the most dramatic, twisty, hurt feelings, drama, and astonishing 48-span in years between Cohen being removed as a candidate in Jacksonville and now taking over the position. A full story remains. franchise.
Some fan bases are elated by the arrival of a new head coach, while others are cheered by the loss of an offensive coordinator from the head coaching position in back-to-back seasons (as Dave Canales took over the Panthers). I cursed his name. When things settle down, we have the worst coach of the three teams.
Some information we know, some details we don't, and some elements only those involved know. So let's cut to the drama, separate what we know from what we don't, and dig into how this all happened.
Liam Cohen interviews Jaguars
This is the simplest element of this story. Jacksonville was interested in Cohen from the beginning of the coaching search, but had to wait until the Buccaneers made the playoffs. When Tampa Bay lost, they brought Cohen in, where he met with ownership and then (then) GM Trent Baalke.
Mr. Cohen left without a deal, but was widely considered the front-runner for the job. Think of this as the calm before the storm.
Cohen removes name from nominations
On Wednesday morning, it was reported that Cohen told the Jaguars he was removing his name from the list of candidates for the head coaching job and was not willing to have a second interview with the team.
There was speculation that (accurately) Baalke would be the one to block Cohen's appointment. One of the least talented and most maligned general managers in the NFL, Baalke somehow stayed on after Doug Pederson was fired, much to the chagrin of Jaguars fans and a shock to the NFL world. Ta.
Known for his strong (and often wrong) opinions about football, Baalke was a stumbling block for promising managers. Taking Travon Walker over Aidan Hutchinson in the 2022 NFL Draft was just one of Baalke's many missteps, and behind the scenes he is notoriously difficult to cooperate with.
Jaguars waive Trent Baalke
Cohen's refusal to do a second interview seemed to be a sticking point for Jaguars owner Shad Khan. The Jaguars, seeing that the general manager's search for a head coach was hurting Baalke's retention, softened his departure by calling it a “mutual separation.” Khan's statement.
“After several discussions this week with Mr. Trent Baalke, we have both come to the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interest to respectfully separate immediately.”
This was a move Jaguars fans had hoped for, but it seemed like too little, too late. Because of his widespread acceptance, Cohen was now beyond the control of his fans.
Meanwhile in Tampa Bay…
This is where the drama takes it to the next level. When the Jaguars waived Baalke, the Buccaneers responded. Knowing this was in response to Cohen's name withdrawal, the team reportedly offered the offensive coordinator a new contract that would make him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL.
It came with a warning. If Cohen agrees to the deal, he will not be allowed a second interview with the Jaguars.
Cohen reportedly agreed to a deal to remain in Tampa Bay, but definitively did not sign a new contract.
Jags, Liam Cohen has an offer he can't refuse
Overcoming their biggest hurdle, the Jaguars have Liam Cohen pitching again. With Baalke gone, a solid roster and weapons open the door for an offensive coach, making the job 1,000 times more attractive.
Additionally, the Jaguars have reportedly given Cohen significant authority to shape the franchise.
So what has changed for Liam Cohen? He boarded a plane to Jacksonville after the Jags' owner called him directly and explained he would let him choose a general manager and pay him “Ben Johnson”-level money and multiple years, according to sources. .
— Diana Russini (@DMRussini) January 24, 2025
Essentially, it was an offer too good to ignore. Cohen agreed to meet with the Jaguars again, this time in hopes of agreeing to become the team's new head coach. The twist isn't over yet.
Meanwhile, in Tampa Bay… (again)
The Buccaneers were left out in the cold. The Jaguars' prized offensive coordinator had agreed to remain with the team, but rumors swirled that the Jaguars' firing of Baalke cleared the way for Cohen to take the job.
Tampa Bay tried to reach out to Cohen throughout the day Thursday to get assurances that he would remain with the organization. That never happened, and Cohen seemed to be cornering the Buccaneers all day long.
Buccaneers attempts to contact Liam Cohen were not returned until about an hour ago, according to sources. @NFLonCBS. Yesterday, the Bucks agreed to terms that make Cohen one of the highest-paid OCs in the league. Now he is close to signing with Jacksonville
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 23, 2025
In fact, Cohen spent most of Thursday with his family. In fact, he was in the hospital with his son, who has an autoimmune disease. This is mentioned because Buccaneers fans claimed this was a fake and an excuse Cohen used to avoid Tampa Bay.
Liam's wife Ashley Cohen revealed the incident on Friday morning.
I hate even having to say this, but I won't shut up if people are negative about my children. Our son is sick and yesterday we went to the hospital to see an autoimmune disease specialist. Don't spread misinformation or make assumptions just because you hear one side of the story.
— Ashley Cohen (@ashleyfordcoen) January 24, 2025
Cohen travels to Jacksonville and agrees to be the next head coach
No official announcement has been made at this time, but we probably know why. Albert Breer reports that he asked Cohen to keep everything secret because Jacksonville has not yet complied with the “Rooney Rule.” Only one minority candidate was interviewed.
“The secrecy regarding the visit theoretically served two purposes. One was, obviously, that it would preserve Tampa's offer for Cohen, which was also up to OC. do not have Visiting Jacksonville. Second, it allowed the Jaguars to meet the Rooney Rule. Entering Thursday, the Jags had only one minority candidate interview in-person, and Saleh's first interview was in-person. Two men were needed to follow, so Mr. Graham was scheduled to come for the other man on Thursday. But the Jags didn't want their plans to go out the window, which could lead to Graham canceling. ”
Nevertheless, the cat is out of the bag now. With too much going on to keep this matter under wraps, the Jaguars will likely be fined or otherwise fined by the NFL for violating the Rooney Rule.
As for Cohen, you can't really blame him. It was likely a difficult decision to decline the head coaching job in the first place, as head coaching jobs in the NFL are few and far between, and there was no prospect of a working relationship with Trent Baalke. The nature of the Jaguars' offer changed, and so did Cohen's reaction.
If the Buccaneers are upset about losing their coach-in-waiting, they shouldn't have kept him as their coach-in-waiting. Anything else is just sour grapes.
