"Trent Baalke was the problem" - NFL fans react as Buccaneers OC Liam Coen makes shocking visit to Jaguars after GM's firing

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been seeking a new head coach since firing Doug Pederson, but candidates have been avoiding them — until now. On Thursday, reports emerged that Liam Coen had an interview with team executives regarding the opening - only a day after saying he would remain the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator.

And some fans did not take long to claim that ousted ex-general manager Trent Baalke was holding back the Jaguars:

More reactions can be seen below:

"Welp Coen to J'Ville was my initial suggested fit!" one reminisced.

"Damn he’s really going to let Shad ruin his football career," another lamented.

"Coen sticking a big middle finger to Tampa Bay, Baker Mayfield, and the entire fanbase," another raged.

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Other candidates for the Jaguars HC position explained

Coen, however, is not the only prospective candidate Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan is eyeing. Jonathan Jones of CBS reports that the franchise will hire a new general manager after the new coach is appointed.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham was also interviewed on Thursday - his second time. The one-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots has been known for revitalizing erstwhile-anonymous players, as seen most recently in 2023 when his core of Divine Deablo, Robert Spillane, and John Jenkins had career-best performances as part of an 8-9 squad.

Should he be hired, he will be only the second defensive-minded head coach in the Khan era after Gus Bradley.

Former New York Jets head Robert Saleh will have another interview on Friday, while Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady is also expected to meet with the organization.

But no matter the candidate, Khan knows what he wants from his head coach. Speaking earlier this month, he said:

“I think we want him to represent the city and the team, obviously, well. We want him to win. Right now, we are the most predictable team on both sides of the ball."

He continued:

"Football, to win, deception is a big part of it. Unpredictability. If you know exactly what we’re going to do on offense or defense, you’d better have the 22 best players to help us win a football game. So, being unpredictable is I think modern football, and we have to be able to show that on the field."

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the fifth overall pick in the upcoming Draft.