There were many reasons the Jacksonville Jaguars ousted head coach Doug Pederson after 2024. The biggest one was his inability to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, but it was far from the biggest one. Among his biggest blunders, especially late in his stint with the Jags, was that he wasn't receptive to players' feedback. So far, that hasn't been an issue for his successor, Liam Coen. In fact, it's been quite the opposite.
Defensive end Travon Walker met with the local media after Day 4 of Jaguars OTAs and says that he's hyped up about the new coaching staff, pointing out that Coen is setting the tone and always looking to listen to what players have to say.
"I love all of the coaches, including Liam, but I think it starts with him, the energy guy," Walker responded when asked what was his first impression of the coaching staff. "You know, he's always trying to get feedback from the players. So I feel like that's going to carry us along with what energy practice outside."
Following the 2024 season, the NFLPA issued report cards to all 32 teams, and Pederson graded poorly for three crucial reasons: Poor time efficiency, a lack of willingness to listen, and a weak team culture. Based on Walker's comments, Coen is working to fix that.
Later in the exchange with the media, the former Georgia Bulldog said that Coen's high energy incentivizes players to help each other.
"I feel like everybody, if you guys have a high-energy guy like that, especially on days like this, it gets hot out here. Somebody's going to need somebody to pick somebody up and bring them along with them. That's what the coaches encourage. The coaches are doing to us, and us as players have to pick up the players besides us as well to do the same thing," Walker said.
Apart from Coen, Walker also had praise for the defensive coaching staff, citing energy as one of the biggest differences from last year.
"My main thing is the energy. That's something that I feel like was kind of missing a little bit last year, and feel like it's going to play a big role with what the coaches are bringing in now."
The Jaguars hired Anthony Campanile in the offseason to replace Ryan Nielsen, who alienated players right off the bat with his arrogant demeanor. But leaving aside his personality, his unit was among the worst in the NFL in several categories, which is why he was given the boot.
Below is Walker's full exchange with the press corps. His remarks about Coen start at the 1:46 mark.
Liam Coen is a breath of fresh air for the Jaguars
Doug Pederson helped the Jaguars bounce back from the Urban Meyer debacle and took them to the playoffs in his first year as the head coach. However, he seemingly grew uninterested in 2024, and at several points, it looked like the team was going through the motions. Late in the season, his firing appeared to be inevitable, and the organization pulled the trigger earlier this year.
To replace Pederson, Jacskonville hired Liam Coen. Although he came across as goofy because of his odd Duval chant, he's proving to be a breath of fresh air. Sure, he just got hired a few months ago, but players are raving about his energy, something they wouldn't do if they didn't see a difference in his approach.
Of course, teams don't win football games with energy alone. The Jaguars will need to put in the work to be ready to take on the Carolina Panthers in the season opener. That said, it's fair to say that Liam Coen is off to a promising start to his tenure in Jacksonville.
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