If it wasn’t for Liam Coen, it’s entirely possible that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be one of the five worst teams in the NFL. That’s how bad the defense has been. By nearly every metric, Todd Bowles’ defense is at, or near, the bottom of the league.
Alternatively, the Buccaneers offense has been one of the best. Even after losing their top three wide receivers for an extended period of time, the Bucs have managed to maintain a level of production and efficiency that few thought would be possible.
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Liam Coen is deserving of credit. Maybe not all of it, but enough that other NFL franchises have taken notice.
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Coen is on a short list of NFL coaches who could be in high demand when the primary hiring cycle for 2025 rolls around.
Here’s what Pelissero had to say about the Bucs’ promising young offensive coordinator.
“A former UMass quarterback who still holds school passing records, Coen spent a season in the arena league before going into coaching, where his résumé in recent years has been unique. He had two stints each with the Rams (2018-20, 2022) and the University of Kentucky (2021, 2023) before replacing Panthers head coach Dave Canales as Tampa Bay’s OC this past offseason.”
The article also acknowledges the job Coen has done despite all of the injury issues that have impacted the roster he has to work with.
The Buccaneers’ offense has improved statistically, ranking fifth in scoring (27.9 points per game) despite Tampa’s ongoing four-game losing streak amidst injuries to its top receivers. Coen has the demeanor and personality for a head job. He may get a look.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that NFL teams searching for their next head coach are expected to have serious interest in the Buccaneers’ young and talented offensive coordinator. The job Coen has done since joining the Bucs has been extremely impressive.
That said, we have no idea if Liam Coen is even interested in becoming a head coach at this point of his career. But if he is, the question becomes, would the Tampa Bay Buccaneers consider giving him that opportunity to ensure he doesn’t leave the building?
How the team performs over their final seven games of the 2024 season will go a long way toward determining which direction ownership takes when it comes to deciding who is best suited to lead the team in 2025, and beyond. If they no longer believe that Todd Bowles is that man, it’s likely they believe Liam Coen is.
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