JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars appear to be making progress in their pursuit of a new head coach. On Monday, the team revealed that it has arranged in-person interviews with three candidates from an initial list of ten: Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Las Vegas’ defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh. These interviews will take place this week, as the candidates meet with owner Shad Khan, general manager Trent Baalke, and other team officials.
Coen is set to have his interview on Wednesday, followed by Graham the next day, and Saleh on Friday. The Jaguars are no longer in the running for Detroit’s offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who was appointed as the head coach of the Chicago Bears on Monday. Additionally, Detroit’s defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn appears to be focusing on opportunities with the New Orleans Saints and the Jets instead of Jacksonville.
There remains the possibility for the Jaguars to revisit their interest in Buffalo’s offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, or Kansas City’s defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. According to NFL regulations, they can only begin those discussions next week, as the respective teams are competing in the conference title games.
Coen and Graham have only interviewed with Jacksonville during this hiring cycle, while Saleh’s interaction with the Jaguars was the sole face-to-face meeting he has had for potential coaching roles this season. Coen, aged 39, recently wrapped up his first season as the offensive playcaller for the Buccaneers, leading an offense that ranked third in the league with an average of 399.6 yards per game and fourth in scoring with 29.5 points per game. However, his one-year tenure with the Los Angeles Rams saw him struggle greatly, as the team finished at the bottom of the league in yardage in 2022.
Graham, aged 45, started his NFL coaching career with the New England Patriots and has since held various positions, serving as the defensive line coach for the New York Giants and later as the run-game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. He concluded his journey there as Miami’s defensive coordinator before spending the last three seasons with the Raiders, where the team ranked 25th in points allowed and 15th in total yards during the previous season.
Saleh, also 45, has a connection to Jacksonville, having served as the linebackers coach under Gus Bradley from 2014 to 2016. He then held a similar position with the San Francisco 49ers before accepting the head coaching role with the Jets, where he finished with a record of 20 wins and 36 losses.
Owner Shad Khan made the decision to part ways with head coach Doug Pederson shortly after the team’s final game of the season, marking his 18th loss in just 23 contests. An underwhelming performance, exacerbated by injuries to quarterback Trevor Lawrence and a defense that struggled under new coordinator Ryan Nielsen, led to this pivotal decision.
Khan is optimistic that keeping Baalke will not negatively impact their coaching search, despite the fact that three of the five previous head coaches he worked with have lasted only a single season.
The Jaguars, finishing the season with a record of 4-13, have much potential with a young quarterback like Lawrence and promising talents such as Brian Thomas Jr. at wide receiver, alongside key defensive players like Tyson Campbell and pass rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. The team is also benefitting from a newly upgraded practice facility, a forthcoming $1.4 billion renovation of their stadium, and an owner who is willing to invest. With the fifth overall pick in the upcoming April draft and approximately $50 million available in their salary cap for 2025, combined with competing in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL, the Jaguars have the tools that may lead them toward a quicker path to success. They faced challenges in close games this last season, going 3-10 in matches decided by one score, hinting at the possibility of being a more competitive team with the right adjustments.
