Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen has come under fire following a report revealing what’s thought to be a lame excuse after ghosting the team all of Thursday.
Coen is the lead candidate for the head coaching position in Jacksonville, but the Bucs badly want him to stay.
They reportedly offered him a three-year deal that would make him the highest-paid OC in NFL history, providing that he avoids a second interview with the Jaguars.
He is said to have turned down that interview on Wednesday; however, the Bucs could not reach him for most of Thursday, having last heard from him on Wednesday afternoon, until he called head coach Todd Bowles around 5 p.m. and said he was at the doctor with his sick child.
That is according to Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud, who also revealed that Coen briefly mentioned the situation with Jacksonville, having “secretly traveled” there, claiming he wanted to “look back into it.”
“To be clear, the Liam Coen contacted head coach Todd Bowles around 5 p. m. Thursday. He said he had been with one of his kids, who had taken ill, at a doctors office. He mentioned the Jaguars situation only briefly, saying he wanted to look back into it,” Stroud reported.
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Everyone Was Talking About Liam Coen After Thursday’s Shocking Report
Fans on social media were all over this and had plenty to say about Liam Coen’s excuse.
“Really? I heard that he was in Jacksonville the whole day today,” a fan said.
Really? I heard that he was in Jacksonville the whole day today
— NMH (@nosmh_x) January 24, 2025
“There’s a special place in hell for people who lie about their kids being sick,” another wrote.
There's a special place in hell for people who lie about their kids being sick
— james farro (@jamesfarro1) January 24, 2025
“I too did this to my former boss as I was interviewing for a new job. Nothing to see here. Just the way it goes,” confessed a third.
I too did this to my former boss as I was interviewing for a new job. Nothing to see here. Just the way it goes
— SCGT (@SCGTRTR) January 24, 2025
“Liam Coen on the phone with Todd Bowles this afternoon,” a user wrote along with a photo of Dan Orlovsky trying not to laugh.
There's a special place in hell for people who lie about their kids being sick
— james farro (@jamesfarro1) January 24, 2025
The Jaguars’ pursuit of Coen is certainly understandable, given that he turned the Bucs’s offense into a top-five unit in his first season with the team. They finished 2024 ranking within the top five in total offense, scoring offense, rushing offense, passing offense, third-down percentage, and red-zone touchdown percentage.
The 39-year-old was a longtime assistant for Sean McVay and also had success coaching Will Levis at Kentucky. It appears he’s done with the Bucs, given the latest reports.
UPDATE: Liam Coen has reportedly informed the Bucs that he will accept the Jags’ offer to become their new head coach. An official announcement is expected on Friday.
