Liam Coen isn’t afraid of hard truths—or so he claims. He may have just started his new journey as the Jaguars’ head coach. But he’s already stirring the pot, big time. He spoke passionately about his coaching philosophy during his Jaguars introduction. He revealed the bedrock of that coaching philosophy. And it’s that moral high ground that fans are now calling out vehemently. His departure from Tampa Bay to Jacksonville was anything but clean. And it left Buccaneers fans fuming about the sheer irony in his statement.

Coen cited honesty as the bedrock of his philosophy. “Now that’s really what this is gonna come down to is honesty,” he said. “I want to surround ourselves with people that are gonna be able to tell you hard truths, be able to show you your blind spots, cause that’s really, like I mentioned, where growth occurs.” It seems the fans are now giving him those hard pills to swallow. But how did everything pan out in the last few days?

Liam Coen was on his way to become the NFL’s highest-paid offensive coordinator with the Buccaneers. But he abruptly switched gears to accept Jacksonville’s head coaching role. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Coen avoided communication with Tampa Bay while secretly meeting Jaguars owner Shad Khan. Breer suggested that he ghosted the Bucs and used his kid’s health as an excuse. For a man preaching transparency, his actions painted a murkier picture.

The Bucs tried to reach Coen multiple times on January 23. But it was only for his agent to claim he was tending to a personal matter. Coen admitted he was already in Jacksonville finalizing his deal hours later. His departure blindsided the Buccaneers. It left them scrambling for their fourth offensive coordinator in as many years. The timing was poor. But the betrayal stung even more.

Coen didn’t seem fazed when questioned about his actions. “Ultimately, you do what’s best for you and your family,” he told reporters. This statement seems contrary to many when compared to what he said during his honesty pledge. “When you can truly be yourself and be honest with looking in the mirror, knowing that that process that get you there was clean and it was right and the results will speak for themselves,” he said. A career jump isn’t unusual in the NFL. But the way he handled the transition earned him the ire of Tampa fans. They took to social media to voice their frustrations.

Fans speak out, but Coen moves forward

Fans didn’t mince their words in any form or manner. “Not just Bucs fans, Rams fans, Kentucky fans (twice), he even f—– around the Saints front office last year and wasn’t employed by them. Bro has that slimey used car salesman feel,” one of them wrote. Fan anger wasn’t limited to social media. The Tampa media criticized his lack of professionalism. Especially given the Buccaneers’ pivotal role in elevating Coen’s career.

Bucs supporters weren’t shy about calling out Coen’s hypocrisy. One comment stood out: “I’m trying to be mature about this and not react like an angry jilted ex but it’s really hard.” Coen’s awkward “DUUUVAL” greeting during his introduction didn’t help his case. And it came off as forced to many observers. “Churlish and insubordinate,” one fan wrote. Some even chose violence, quite literally.

“Deada– the most punch able face,” one fan wrote. Another ranted, “More like smirking at the hubris. I’m seething at how bad his beard is and how he looks like a little kid wearing his dad’s suit.” However, Coen is focusing on building a new culture in Jacksonville despite the backlash. Yet, his version of “truth” has left Tampa questioning their judgment in trusting him.

This saga has also highlighted the challenges of coaching transitions in the NFL. Losing Coen means restarting yet again for Tampa Bay. Hence, jeopardizing continuity for quarterback Baker Mayfield and the offense. The Buccaneers are left asking, what now?

Coen preaches “moving forward.” But the Buccaneers and their fans are busy cleaning up the mess. In the end, the fallout from Coen’s controversial exit might not fade anytime soon. The Buccaneers need to regroup for now. Meanwhile, Coen turns his attention to fixing the Jaguars. A team that’s not without its own history of dysfunction. The irony? His honesty mantra might face its toughest test yet.