The Jacksonville Jaguars had their work cut out for them this last offseason. Not only did they have to find a new head coach, but they also needed a new general manager after owner Shad Khan finally fired then-general manager Trent Baalke. In came James Gladstone and Liam Coen, and Coen has already led the Jags to a 4-2 start, upsetting the Kansas City Chiefs in primetime on Monday Night Football a few weeks ago.
Sure, it's a little early to talk about Coach of the Year accolades, but it's safe to say that—if the Jaguars keep trending the right way—Coen is a frontrunner for the award. He's leading a shift in the Jaguars culture, turning a team that, last year, wasn't able to overcome adversity into a gutsy, gritty, physical team that wins when it's hard.
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Two-time NFL Coach of the Year Ron Rivera praised Liam Coen's offensive mind
Former head coach and two-time Coach of the Year, Ron Rivera, spoke with Kyle Brandt recently. He was asked which coach he liked, who he thought was "going places." Rivera—who interviewed with the Jags after Coen's hire—didn't hesitate to sing the praises of head coach Liam Coen.
"Liam Coen at Jacksonville," he quickly replied. "I interviewed with him last year for the assistant head coaching job that he had...he and I had this great conversation about how to run the team and how to put things together. I got a chance to listen to his offensive philosophy a little bit. That's a guy that I think is gonna go places. I really do."
While Rivera ended up taking a different job despite the interview—he wanted to be closer to "home," he says—he couldn't stop speaking highly about Coen and his approach to players, highlighting specifically his talent and ability at developing Jaguars' quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
"He's got a young quarterback now that he's developing, that he's teaching. And you really see it in Trevor's play, because I think that [Coen]'s the kind of guy that has a chance to connect with players. I think this guy [Coen] has a chance to go places."
Asked 2x Coach of the Year Ron Rivera which young head coach he is most impressed by … pic.twitter.com/VKeLf6cjfK
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) October 17, 2025
And in case you were wondering what kind of credentials Rivera has, he reached the Super Bowl with the Carolina Panthers in 2015. Sure, he lost, but the fact that they got there showed he knew what he was doing. On top of that, Riverboat Ron won the NFL Coach of the Year twice, in 2013 and 2015. More recently, he was the head coach for the Washington Commanders from 2020-2023.
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Final thoughts
The season is still relatively young, though the Jaguars are already looking like a real contender. New head coach Liam Coen is a big reason for the shift, with his offensive talents and winning mindset permeating throughout the locker room. Players believe him, and that's a big step toward creating a winning program.