Identical to that, Baker Mayfield may have yet one more new offensive coordinator.
On Wednesday, it seemed just like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had prevented that destiny, with information that offensive coordinator Liam Coen — who elevated Tampa Bay’s offense to a top-five unit in 2024 — had agreed to phrases to a brand new deal that may hold him in Tampa after being courted by the Jacksonville Jaguars for his or her head teaching job. The three-year extension would make him one of many highest-paid coordinators within the league, reportedly at near $4.5 million a yr.
Then Thursday got here and went and the Bucs did not announce the thrilling information of an extension. It began to unravel Thursday night — the explanation Coen hadn’t signed the paperwork was he was in Jacksonville, negotiating a brand new deal to change into the Jaguars’ new head coach.
About 24 hours earlier, Coen was scheduled to have his second interview with the Jags however as a substitute withdrew his title from consideration as experiences emerged he had agreed to a brand new take care of the Bucs. Later Wednesday, Jacksonville fired common supervisor Trent Baalke and reportedly went again to Coen promising he might assist choose the brand new GM as a part of its push to convey him in.
This was all information to the Bucs, who anticipated Coen to be of their facility Thursday to make the extension official. Per a number of experiences, they could not attain him by telephone or textual content till round 5 p.m., when he reportedly talked to Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, who had lobbied for staff possession to provide him the substantial increase to maintain him in Tampa.
However based on the Tampa Bay Occasions, Coen instructed Bowles that one among his kids had fallen sick and he’d been on the physician’s workplace, solely briefly mentioning the Jaguars job and saying he wished to revisit the chance. By 10:45 p.m., he had notified the staff he was accepting the job with the Jaguars — which can reportedly pay as a lot as $13 million a yr.
Coen’s reversal took what had been a optimistic story — holding a coveted assistant for one more yr — and as a substitute added to a rising record of exits for the Bucs, who’ve gained 4 straight division titles. Assistant common supervisor John Spytek on Wednesday agreed to change into common supervisor of the Raiders, who’ve former Bucs quarterback Tom Brady as a minority proprietor. Spytek reportedly signed a five-year deal with the Raiders late Thursday.
Bowles’ high two defensive assistants could possibly be leaving as properly — line of defense coach and run recreation coordinator Kacy Rodgers, who has labored with Bowles for 17 seasons with 4 totally different groups, is taking the identical job with the Lions, and Detroit can be interviewing Bucs linebackers coach and go recreation coordinator Larry Foote for its defensive coordinator job. It is also doable that Coen will take some Bucs offensive assistants with him by selling them to bigger roles on his Jaguars employees.
Simply two weeks in the past, Coen had been candid in speaking in regards to the attract of turning into a head coach, however his relative persistence to know that he did not need to rush at any job, with a job he preferred and the promise of extra success forward.
“Yeah, that could be a dream,” he mentioned. “Does that must occur once I’m 39 years previous and having most likely probably the most enjoyable of my life teaching and dealing and being right here? No, that does not imply that should happen proper now. However yeah, that’s the aim. That’s completely the aim. However like I mentioned earlier than, that aim can maintain off for some time right here and proceed to do what we’re doing. That will be fairly particular.”
It is the second yr in a row Bowles has misplaced a first-year offensive coordinator to a head teaching job. A yr in the past, Dave Canales was employed to be the Panthers’ head coach, and with Coen going to Jacksonville, the Bucs are the primary NFL staff to lose offensive coordinators to move teaching jobs in back-to-back seasons because the 2013-14 Ravens, who misplaced Jim Caldwell to the Lions after which Gary Kubiak to the Broncos, the place he would win a Tremendous Bowl championship the next season.
In principle, Tampa’s OC job is significantly better than it was a yr in the past — the Bucs had the worst speeding assault within the NFL in 2023, however they completed within the high 5 in practically each class in 2024. The advance wasn’t simply Coen, however upgrades to the offensive line, together with rookie heart Graham Barton, and the arrival of rookie operating again Bucky Irving, a consensus All-Rookie choice after speeding for greater than 1,000 yards regardless of sharing the workload for a lot of the yr.
Coen’s latest job historical past suggests it should not be shocking that he moved on from Tampa after just one season. Over the 4 years prior, he bounced from the Rams to the College of Kentucky again to the Rams and again to Kentucky, partially as a result of he valued with the ability to be a play-caller in his personal offense, as he was in Tampa. At 39, he turns into one of many NFL’s youngest head coaches, and he’ll get to work with a promising younger quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, who’s signed to a $275 million contract.
The Bucs, too, have been jilted like this earlier than. Twice, the franchise thought it had a take care of Invoice Parcells to change into their head coach, in 1991 and 2002, however each occasions he modified his thoughts on the final minute. They practically finalized a take care of Chip Kelly in 2012, just for him to remain at Oregon.
Tampa Bay will now transfer rapidly to discover a new offensive coordinator, their fourth in 4 seasons, an absence of continuity that’s all too acquainted for Mayfield, who threw for profession highs in touchdowns (41) and yards (4,500) with Coen in 2024. Mayfield has already labored with seven offensive coordinators in his seven years within the NFL, so the brand new rent can be his eighth, a virtually annual ceremony of studying new offenses and adjusting to new schemes.
The Jaguars, in the meantime, completed 4-13 this previous season, however they have been 9-8 in every of the 2 earlier seasons, profitable the AFC South and a wild-card playoff recreation in 2022. Discovering success with Lawrence, nonetheless solely 25, can be a precedence for Coen. The previous No. 1 total decide was restricted to only 10 video games this previous season due to harm, throwing 11 touchdowns in opposition to seven interceptions whereas profitable solely two of his begins.
If the Bucs make the identical monetary dedication they’d budgeted for Coen, they will don’t have any scarcity of worthy candidates to select from. They may promote from inside, giving Mayfield much less of a transition to fret about, or look externally to fill a uncommon opening for a playcalling offensive coordinator with a gifted group of gamers with sustained success in a simple division.
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade protecting the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Occasions and The Athletic. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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