New Coach Liam Coen Aims to Transform Jacksonville Jaguars with a Savage Mindset
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have a new leader at the helm, and he’s not mincing words about what he expects from his team. Liam Coen, the newly appointed head coach, has a clear vision for the Jaguars: play fast, be fundamentally sound, adopt an attack mentality, excel in situational football, and above all, be mentally and physically tough.
Coen emphasized the importance of toughness, which he believes is crucial for establishing the culture and identity that were sorely lacking in 2024. “I want savages,” Coen declared, setting the tone for what he hopes will be a new era for the Jaguars.
Reflecting on the 2024 season, it’s clear why Coen is focused on change. The Jaguars struggled significantly, finishing with a 3-10 record in one-score games, the most such losses in a single season in the Super Bowl era. They ranked 31st in total defense, forced the fewest turnovers in the league, and ended up 25th in the NFL in point differential. Coen’s mission is to turn these statistics around.
“Just that physical mindset. When our opponents turn on the tape, what are they looking at? Are they seeing guys playing through the echo of the whistle?” Coen asked during his introductory news conference. “You might get a flag or two early on. Man, hey, let’s pull back a little. OK, here we go. But I want them playing on the edge. It’s a violent game. They have to be that way. I want them to play that way. So that’s where it starts. If we can get that out of these guys, I think we’ll be moving in the right direction.”
Addressing the Jaguars’ Challenges
The Jaguars’ 4-13 record in 2024 led to owner Shad Khan’s decision to part ways with coach Doug Pederson. The team lacked a strong identity, vocal leadership in the locker room, and on-field discipline. Coen has already had conversations with key players like quarterback Trevor Lawrence and defensive end Josh Hines-Allen, who share his vision for improvement in 2025.
“I heard guys that are yearning for more,” Coen said. “Just more culture, more unity, more communication, just everybody being on the same page, a true aligned vision, and for everybody to be able to tell each other some hard truths in ways and see each other’s blind spots and communicate those. That’s where the growth occurs, and that’s what it sounded like they’re yearning for.”
Coen’s approach is to instill responsibility on both sides of the ball, with a clear vision and trust. “They want to be able to be coached hard but understand that it’s coming from the right place and there’s a trust and an honesty there,” he added.
The Journey to Jacksonville
Coen’s path to Jacksonville was not straightforward. He was initially set to remain as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ offensive coordinator with a significant raise. However, the opportunity with the Jaguars was too enticing to pass up. Khan, who was equally impressed during the interview process, felt Coen was the right choice to change the culture and help Lawrence reach his potential.
“Our commitment to Trevor, I think it’s well known that we believe in him. So, it started with that,” Khan said. “That was the fundamental question, really, to all the candidates. How would they do it? After we got done with that, it was very evident to me that Liam was the guy. I had never met Liam until the process started, but I had heard about him quite a bit over the last year.”
“… As we went through the process it was absolutely compelling, he’s the right guy for us,” Khan concluded.
Building the Coaching Staff
Coen, who will be calling plays, has already begun assembling his coaching staff. He signed special teams coordinator Heath Farwell to a three-year contract extension. Farwell has been with the Jaguars for the past three seasons, producing a Pro Bowler each year, including returner Jamal Agnew, punter Logan Cooke, and long-snapper Ross Matiscik.
Coen is also in the process of interviewing candidates for the defensive coordinator position. He shares the same belief as Pederson, who stated before his departure that the Jaguars aren’t far from competing for the playoffs, as they did in 2022 and 2023.
“I mentioned this to the guys, this isn’t a four-win team,” Coen said. “Yes, that is the record, but this is not a four-win team. How do we go from winning games to not losing them? I think that’s something we’ve got to address. That has got to be in our veins, in our DNA: the culture of winning.”
Coen draws from his experiences with successful organizations like the Los Angeles Rams to instill a winning mentality in the Jaguars. “I’ve learned it from the Rams and from a ton of other great organizations on how to go win football games. I think that’s something that we have to start as a team, as a group, and show how we’re going to go do it,” he said.
- Play fast and fundamentally sound
- Adopt an attack mentality
- Excel in situational football
- Be mentally and physically tough
- Instill a culture of winning
Originally Written by: Michael DiRocco
