Jan. 22, 2026, 12:08 p.m. ET
Everything changed for the Jacksonville Jaguars this time a year ago.
After moving on from head coach Doug Pederson shortly after the 2024 season ended, the Jaguars and then-GM Trent Baalke began their search for the next head coach.
After going through a number of interviews, the Jaguars zeroed in on Liam Coen, who was the Tampa Bay offensive coordinator at that time.
However, on the morning of Jan. 22nd, 2024, it was reported that Coen was withdrawing from the Jaguars’ head coaching job. The Buccaneers reportedly were going to make Coen the highest-paid coordinator in football.
A few hours later, owner Shad Khan and the Jaguars would move on from Baalke. Khan then reached back out to Coen.
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Not long after, Coen was named the head coach of the Jaguars. A few weeks later, James Gladstone was named the team’s next general manager.
In the year that followed, Gladstone would reshape the Jaguars’ roster. Coen guided Jacksonville to a 13-win season, an AFC South title, and a home playoff game.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence also had a resurgent season under Coen and is now a finalist for the league MVP.
Coen is also a finalist for the NFL’s Coach of the Year award.
Had Khan not been willing to pivot quickly a year ago, who knows how the 2025 season would have unfolded for the Jaguars?