JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars appear to still be interested in pursuing Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator, Liam Coen. This comes after Jaguars owner Shad Khan made the decision to part ways with general manager Trent Baalke on Wednesday, just hours after Coen withdrew from a planned face-to-face interview with the team’s executives.
The organization announced this separation as a mutual agreement between Khan and Baalke, stating that they agreed to part ways “respectfully,” effective immediately. However, a source with knowledge of the situation revealed that Baalke was indeed dismissed. This information was shared under the condition of anonymity, as both the team and Baalke had hoped to keep the details of the firing under wraps.
Khan’s frustration reportedly grew as Coen, a promising 39-year-old play-caller who had previously impressed in his initial meeting with the Jaguars, opted out of further discussions and instead inked a new deal with the Buccaneers. The source explained that Baalke’s involvement seemed to be a deterrent for Coen and former Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, prompting Khan to look for a new path.
In a statement, Khan expressed gratitude for Baalke’s contributions over the past five years while also underscoring the necessity for change. “Following several discussions with Trent Baalke this week, we both arrived at the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interests to respectfully part ways, effective immediately,” Khan affirmed. “Trent leaves us with my deepest appreciation for his efforts over the past five seasons.” In the interim, Ethan Waugh will take over the general manager role, continuing the search for a new head coach in the process.
Waugh’s previous experience includes a 12-year tenure working under Baalke in San Francisco. This raises the question of whether potential coaching candidates will feel more inclined to consider Jacksonville now, or if Khan will need to provide reassurances about the hiring of a new GM soon.
The Jaguars had previously focused their search on Coen, along with Las Vegas’ defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh. Both Graham and Saleh are scheduled for interviews in the following days.
Johnson and Detroit’s defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn were also part of the initial 10 candidates interviewed by Jacksonville. However, they subsequently accepted other positions elsewhere—Johnson with the Chicago Bears and Glenn with the Jets—before being able to have further discussions with the Jaguars.
Despite asserting that the retention of Baalke wouldn’t hinder the coaching search after dismissing Doug Pederson earlier, it has become clear that was not the case. “I am deeply committed to building a winner here in Jacksonville and look forward to introducing a new head coach who will make that happen for our players and fans alike,” Khan stated emphatically.
Baalke has built a contentious reputation throughout the league, having hired five coaches over his career, three of whom—Jim Tomsula, Chip Kelly, and Urban Meyer—saw their stints end after just one season. His draft history has also been mixed; while he made successful first-round picks in quarterback Trevor Lawrence and right tackle Anton Harrison, he made controversial decisions like selecting defensive end Travon Walker over Aidan Hutchinson and missing on first-rounder Devin Lloyd.
Baalke’s free-agent classes faced criticism, most notably the latest recruitment, which is now considered one of the least effective in team history. The Jaguars invested over $150 million, including about $90 million guaranteed, in signing seven free agents, none of whom significantly improved the team’s prospects.
The fanbase has long demanded Baalke’s removal, even organizing a “Klown Out” to protest Khan’s decision to keep him before hiring Pederson. With Baalke now gone, Jacksonville may look to reach out again to offensive coordinators such as Joe Brady from Buffalo and Kellen Moore from Philadelphia, along with Kansas City’s Steve Spagnuolo, with potential interviews resuming next week due to their respective teams competing in conference title games.
As the Jaguars (4-13) move forward, the central question remains: how appealing is the organization to prospective candidates without Baalke in the mix? The team boasts a promising young quarterback in Lawrence, emerging star receiver Thomas, and several defensive assets in Campbell, Walker, and Hines-Allen. Additionally, plans for a $1.4 billion stadium renovation and an upcoming fifth overall draft pick give the franchise appealing options.
With around $50 million available in the salary cap for 2025 and playing in one of the NFL’s weaker divisions, the Jaguars seem positioned for a potential turnaround, especially considering their close loss stats where they went 3-10 in one-score games, indicating that improvements could be readily achieved.
