Timothy Yean
Sports Editor
His father turned his players at La Salle Academy into state champions; his son looks to turn his own into world champions.
A very awkward “Duuuuuuuvalll!” is what new Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coach Liam Coen made for first impressions in his introductory press conference. For Rhode Islanders, they can glance by that because gosh darnit he’s from Rhode Island! Coen follows in his father Tim Coen’s footsteps, but with the expectations of not just a high school football team but an entire franchise and brand.
The Rhode Island native has been around football nearly his entire life, starting as quarterback under his head coach and father. During his time, he aided La Salle Academy in Providence to four consecutive state championships, also being named to three All-State teams (twice first-team, once as second-team). Surprisingly, it was his second-team all-state nod in which he won his sole championship as a Ram during his sophomore year in a 26-18 win over East Providence.
Capping off his high school season as the 03-04 Gatorade Player of the Year for football in Rhode Island, Coen then headed up north to UMass to continue his playing career, starting four years for the Minutemen while wearing number 12, his favorite player Tom Brady wearing the same for his Patriots, who had won their third Superbowl by the time Coen entered the starting role. Coen led his team to the 2006 FCS Division I National Championship, losing to Appalachian State 28-17.
Following his playing career, Coen’s first coaching stint actually was in Rhode Island with Brown University for a one-year stint as their quarterbacks coach before heading to Kingston to become the quarterbacks’ coach and pass-game coordinator for URI, and returning to Brown for two more seasons for the position he originally held for the Bears. He’d once again exit the state for two-year stints with his alma-mater UMass as their pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach and then with Maine, compiling a 10-11 record with the Black Bears before his first major coaching job in the NFL, a role as the assistant wide receivers coach with the LA Rams in 2018.
Coen’s work as assistant WRs coach alongside primary WRs coach Eric Yarber resulted in the passing game flourishing in his first year, producing two 1,000-yard receivers while also helping the Rams make an appearance in Superbowl LIII, losing to the New England Patriots 13-3.
Following his initial tenure, he would accept the offensive coordinator position at Kentucky, for a year, helping to guide Kentucky to a 20-17 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl to finish off a strong 10-3 campaign for the Wildcats.
Coen would return to Los Angeles as the Rams’ offensive coordinator for the 2022 season. However, injuries to quarterback Matthew Stafford along with other key pieces of the Rams squad to finish 5-12 on the season. Late in the season however, he would work with ex-Carolina Panther and Cleveland Brown Baker Mayfield, the highlight of their work in LA with a come-from-behind win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14.
Coen returned to Kentucky, retaining his role as offensive coordinator. A 5-0 start would derail to a 2-7 finish, concluding with a close 38-35 loss against ranked Clemson in the Gator Bowl.
Coen made his return to the league, this time in the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, serving under head coach Todd Bowles as offensive coordinator. Reunited with Mayfield from his time in LA, Coen helped the eighth-year veteran set career highs in passing yards, touchdowns, and completion percentage. Coen also helped the run game flourish, a top-five rushing offense in the NFL averaging just about 149 yards per game, and alongside the pass attack the third-best offense in the league.
While Coen’s first year with the Buccaneers was cut short by a Wild Card loss to the Washington Commanders, he piqued interest from the Jacksonville Jaguars for their head coaching spot. While initially deciding to return to the Buccaneers for a second season, he opted to take the head coaching gig following the firing of general manager Trent Baalke.
Coen is now in one of the most lucrative positions in the league. With a team already equipped with some solid pieces on both sides of the ball, he is very well in prime position to turnaround what has been a struggling franchise for what feels like eternity now.
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