When it rains, it pours—or so it seems, in Jacksonville these days. The NFL postseason is on, and so is the surrounding drama, which has taken another dramatic turn for the team. And this time, they seem to have gone from losing one of their top coaching candidates to suddenly being back in the running for him—intensified by a manhunt and a cruel case of ghosting. For those of you who guessed it right, and didn’t: Yes, we’re talking about Liam Coen. But before we see what exactly happened…

Wasn’t Liam Coen locked in with his current team on a record-breaking deal? That’s what everyone thought until he started ghosting them. The Tampa Bay OC reportedly agreed to an extension with the Buccaneers on January 22, that would have made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator (close to $4.5 million a year). However, surprisingly, a deal wasn’t signed, and neither was an announcement made on Thursday. The reason for that? A second punch in the gut.

At that very moment, Coen was reportedly in Jacksonville negotiating a deal for the HC position. Earlier it was reported that the Offensive Coordinator had withdrawn his name from the Jaguars deal, and refused a second interview. On Wednesday, the team’s front office had even fired general manager Trent Baalke and promised Coen that he’d have a say in finding the GM’s replacement. Well, let’s just say that the bid to attract Liam Coen fell short despite tall promises. Only for a while though. On Thursday, all hell broke loose. Coen was back in Jacksonville for a second interview to discuss their HC vacancy—JUST A DAY LATER.

Meanwhile, the Bucs were reportedly unable to reach Coen by call or text till 5 pm, until the latter talked to Bucs HC Todd Bowles. According to Tampa Bay Times, Coen had vaguely mentioned rethinking about the Jaguars offer, and that one of his children had fallen sick. What’s more? By 10:45 pm that night, Coen informed his former team that he’d was joining the Jaguars (it will pay a hefty salary of around $13 million per year).

Having said that, the Jaguars’ desperation isn’t surprising. Team owner Shahid Khan started cleaning house after a dismal 4-13 season. He fired head coach Doug Pederson. Khan initially spared GM Trent Baalke saying that a complete reorganization would be “suic-de”. But his dismissal came on January 23. Khan’s decision reflects the franchise’s urgency to overhaul its leadership.

The opportunity to step into a head coaching role is tantalizing for Coen. He transformed the Buccaneers‘ offense in 2024. It ranked third in total offense and fourth in scoring. Baker Mayfield thrived under Coen. He posted career highs in passing yards (4,500) and touchdowns (41). To make things better, he also boasted a 71.4% completion rate. “Liam has done an incredible job,” Mayfield said earlier this month, before adding:

“It’s the influence he’s had throughout all the guys teaching the game of football… teaching the details of why we’re doing certain things, why we have certain plays alerted or canned… And he does a great job of that, and then calling the plays with player strengths—that’s what good OCs do. So he’s done an unbelievable job.” Jacksonville’s struggling offense ranked 25th in scoring. And they clearly need that magic touch.

Coen’s arrival after a wild Domino effect in Jacksonville?

Liam Coen’s renewed interest in Jacksonville came as a shock. But the firing of Baalke might explain it. Baalke’s tenure as GM was marked by mediocrity. They had a 25-43 record over four seasons. His dismissal signals Khan’s willingness to reshape the Jaguars’ future. “Following several discussions with Trent Baalke this week, we both arrived at the conclusion that [it] is in our mutual best interests to respectfully separate, effective immediately,” Khan said after the firing.

However, Jacksonville’s timing is questionable. Top coaching options like Ben Johnson (hired by the Bears) and Aaron Glenn (now Jets head coach) were already off the table. Coen’s availability gives the Jaguars one last shot at landing a star play-caller.

Still, the Buccaneers remain hopeful. They haven’t announced Coen’s departure. And neither have the Jaguars officially announced his inclusion. So, rightly, Tampa Bay might not give up easily. Meanwhile, Jacksonville is perhaps preparing to push harder.

As Liam Coen weighs his options, the Jaguars’ future hangs in the balance. Will Khan’s gamble on firing Baalke pay off? Or will Coen double down on his commitment to Tampa Bay?

The clock is ticking. Jacksonville can’t really afford another misstep. As the dust settles, one thing is clear—this saga is far from over.