Jaguars head coach Liam Coen
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Jaguars head coach Liam Coen
First-year head coach Liam Coen wasted no time addressing his new team’s needs at offensive line, signing four veterans in the opening weeks of free agency. Coen took advantage of the 2025 NFL Annual Meeting to boast about the Jacksonville Jaguars’ new pieces.
“These guys love to play the game,” the coach said to the media. “They love what it’s about to be an O-lineman. That’s kind of who they are at their core.”
Among the offensive lineman signed, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator brought over former Buccs’ backup center Robert Hainsey. Another new addition is former Baltimore Raven Patrick Mekari who started 53 games with the team over six seasons.
“I think ultimately they’ll come in and mesh really well with some of the players that we already have in our locker room.”
‘It’s Happening Fast’
Liam Coen accepted the job as the Jaguars head coach on January 24th, 2025. Before becoming the decision maker in Jacksonville, Coen accepted four different jobs in four consecutive seasons.
“Coen spent this past season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator,” John Oehser said on the team’s official website. “He served as the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2022 and the University of Kentucky’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2021 and again in 2023.”
Since settling in much has changed around the organization. The team hired a new general manager, James Gladstone, as well as a vice president of football operations Tony Boselli.
“We’ve spent almost every waking minute together throughout the last few weeks, honestly,” Coen said on GM James Gladstone. “It’s so easy to talk to him. He breaks things down to such an elite level of simplicity for me because he’s a lot smarter than I am.”
On top of an almost entirely new staff and front office, the Jaguars also added 10 free agents this month.
“Brown and Murray are expected to start,” reported Oehser in a breakdown of the acquisitions. “With Lewis starting at nickel corner and Long and Mundt playing key roles in the tight end rotation.”
Coen recognizes the complete overhaul of the organization and recognizes that it will not be an easy adjustment.
“It’s just incrementally inputting the culture. It’s not just culture overload on Day One when you’re like – as a player, coach and staff – ‘Man, that was way too much, this is a lot.’,” continued the coach during his 30 minutes this Monday. “Culture is how we truly just are. How we talk to each other, how we hang out with each other, the way we hold meetings and gatherings together.”
What’s Next For Jags
With the offseason program in Jacksonville set to start in exactly one week, Coen can hardly contain his excitement.
“That’s the first thing we’re really trying to place,” Coen said. “It’s just feel: ‘Guys, this is good stuff. It’s great to be back. We’re doing football, guys. How many of us get to do this? We get an opportunity to do this every single day. There are so many that don’t, so how are we going to approach this thing?’ I think they’ll walk into that kind of feeling.”