If the Jacksonville Jaguars need to be sold anymore on Liam Coen, they should simply set their eyes on the reactions just a few hours south.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their base are clearly livid with the reality of losing Coen, who just led Tampa Bay to one of the best offensive seasons in franchise history.
In terms of overall optics, it makes sense for there to be some hard feelings from Tampa Bay's side. Coen's lack of communication with the Buccaneers about his renewed interest in the Jaguars' job is bound to cause a negative reaction. But that is not why the Tampa Bay sector of the football world is up in arms with the prospects of Coen leading the Jaguars.
The reality is, the Buccaneers know they are losing one of the best offensive minds in football. They are losing a coach who took Baker Mayfield from playing solid football to playing the best football of his life. They are losing a coach who so many had earmarked as Todd Bowles' eventual replacement in Jacksonville.
Coen's cloak and dagger interview with the Jaguars on Thursday night was not conventional by any means, even if the greatest coach in the history of the game once resigned using a napkin. That is the simple reality of how the Jaguars have pursed Coen, who has been among the favorites for the job since Doug Pederson was fired on Jan 6.
Once Ben Johnson took the head coach job with the Chicago Bears earlier this week, all eyes in Jacksonville turned to Coen. The Jaguars were all in on a coach who had dazzled them in his first interview; a coach who the Buccaneers were prepared to move mountains for to keep him in town.
The Jaguars don't need any more convincing on Liam Coen. But if they did, then they can take solace in the fact the Buccaneers were ready to make Coen amongst the highest-paid coordinators in the entire history of the NFL after jue one season.
Tampa Bay doesn't want to lose Coen, and it is not hard to see why. And that is exactly why the Jaguars have been pursuing Coen all along.
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