Tag: Coens

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reportedly found their new offensive coordinator after Liam Coen left to become the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Friday that Tampa Bay promoted pass-game coordinator Josh Grizzard to the role. Garafolo noted Tampa Bay “keeps continuity and hands the play-calling reins over to a coach who is highly regarded in the building” with this move.

Coen’s departure was certainly a roller-coaster ride for the franchise.

As Nick Shook of NFL.com detailed, Coen was initially a candidate for the Jaguars but pulled out of consideration and appeared to be heading back to Tampa Bay with a pay raise. However, he went back to visit with Jacksonville after it fired general manager Trent Baalke.

The Buccaneers attempted to get a hold of him when he was visiting the Jaguars, and Coen eventually reached out to head coach Todd Bowles.

Still, the result was Coen moving to the AFC South and leaving the Bucs with a sudden OC opening.

That vacancy is no more following the promotion of Grizzard.

The 2024 campaign was his first season as Tampa Bay’s pass-game coordinator after he spent seven years on the staff with the Miami Dolphins. He was a quality control coach and a wide receivers coach at different times during his tenure with Miami.

Grizzard found success in his first year with the Buccaneers, as quarterback Baker Mayfield set career highs in completion percentage (71.4), passing yards (4,500) and passing touchdowns (41) while leading the team to an NFC South crown.

It was the fourth straight division championship for Tampa Bay and second straight with Mayfield under center.

There is something to be said about maintaining some continuity in the system with a quarterback who is playing the best football of his career, and that is exactly what the Buccaneers did with this move.