The Jacksonville Jaguars kicked off their offseason by firing head coach Doug Pederson but retaining general manager Trent Baalke. When Baalke’s presence prevented the franchise from hiring its top coaching target, Jacksonville fired him.
Now, after poaching Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen to become the Jaguars coach, Jacksonville is moving forward with the most unconventional process of the NFL coaching carousel. Coen, who was immediately made one of the highest-paid NFL coaches, is now conducting a search for a defensive coordinator and having a heavy influence on the search for the next general manager.
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According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, many around the league mentioned Buccaneers assistant general manager Mike Greenberg as someone to “keep an eye on” to become the Jaguars general manager.
Greenberg just wrapped up his 15th season in the Buccaneers’ organization and his second as the team’s assistant general manager. Before that, he worked as vice president of football administration for nearly a decade and he’s been with the franchise since being hired as a player personnel assistant in 2010
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While Coen only spent one season with Tampa Bay, giving him a limited working relationship with Greenberg Tampa Bay’s second-highest-ranked executive has been on the radar of NFL teams for a while. However, he’s also coveted by several other teams. He interviewed with the New York Jets and has been seen as an up-and-comer around the league for several years. Meanwhile, there seems to be a leader in the search for the next Jaguars defensive coordinator.
Appearing on NFL GameDay, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that former Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is a top candidate to become Jacksonville’s defensive play-caller on Coen’s staff.
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Graham, age 46, is well-regarded around the league for his defensive mind with promising stints as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants (2020-’21) and the Las Vegas Raiders (2022-’24). Jacksonville also brought him in for a head-coaching interview and he seemed to be in consideration when Coen first pulled his name out of the search.
Holding the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Jacksonville is in an excellent position to add one of the top defensive prospects. Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson are viewed as two potential draft targets for the Jaguars.
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