“Couldn’t Ask For More”

February 7th, 2024

“Dave, I’d look over your shoulder, but I don’t do that.

Joe finds it so telling that new Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen so firmly has emphasized that he likes being in charge, and not being the boss is why he left the Rams after the 2022 season.

He went back to the University of Kentucky because, he said, when you’re not calling plays, it’s just not your offense.

And here he is with the Bucs a year later — with a head coach known for handing the keys to his offensive coordinator and staying out of the way. Whether that’s a clear picture or not is unknown, but that’s what’s on the surface. Bowles is hands-off.

Coen told WDAE radio yesterday that he doesn’t want Bowles and assistant coaches fully hands-off because that’s not how to drive the best results.

“The more ownership that we all have over this thing, man, the better the outcome,” Coen said, certainly not referring to Team Glazer. However, Joe suspects Team Glazer might have good ideas about calling timeout late in games and not running up the middle with Rachaad White.

Coen noted how wonderful his early days with Bowles have been.

“It’s been great so far. Couldn’t ask for more,” Coens said. “I mean he has been extremely supportive. He has just been really on it, open, clear in his communication. I couldn’t ask for to work for a defensive head coach like that.”

Outside of money and familiarity with Baker Mayfield, Joe is confident Coen took the Bucs job for two reasons: Bowles largely will stay out of his way and a paved path to becoming a head coach in 2025.

28 Responses to ““Couldn’t Ask For More””

  1. Dew Says:

    The last paragrath seems a little nasty.

  2. Popcorn Mike Says:

    Ok I am excited about Coen as OC. I will wait til October before I get super excited. However, I am concerned about the OL hire. From what I am reading the guy resume is terrible and the running game behind his OL finished 26th and 27th in the NFL before he was fired. I mean what good is a great OC if your OL stinks. Also I thought we where trying to upgrade, that’s a lot worse than what we’ve had the pass 2 years

  3. Tony marks Says:

    “I couldn’t ask for to work for a defensive head coach like that.”

    What an interesting way to put it?

    Normally you would just say head coach but its almost like He’s spelling out an understanding with “defensive head coach” ( if that wasn’t a typo)

    defense is his side of things

    offense is mine

    understanding of No meddling

    Predictable run up the middle on 1st downs a thing of the past? IF so

    who needed Canales?

  4. Allbuccedup Says:

    Lets let the guy do something before crowning him the greatest offensive coordinator in the NFL.

  5. Jason Says:

    Hands off or not, we will still run the ball up the middle on first down. If Coen didn’t convince Bowles of his commitment to doing so, he wouldn’t have been offered the job. Just saying.

  6. Lt. Dan Says:

    I’m starting to like Coen. Read an article that said he views Wirf’s as a weapon. now that’s refreshing. I believe Joe has mentioned that same thing several times.

  7. SlyPirate Says:

    3RD, 4TH, 5TH, 6TH REASON COEN JUMPED AT THE JOB

    5. MOST IMPROVED NFCS. The Bucs will upgrade the OL. He’ll likely get his RB from Kentucky. Defense gets better too.

    4. PLAYMAKERS EVERYWHERE. Evans, Godwin, Trey and R White. 2nd year with Baker.

    3. HE’LL LOOK LIKE A GENIUS. The Bucs had the 23rd ranked offense and the 31st ranked rushing attack. He only has to be average to look like an offensive mastermind.

  8. T. McGee Says:

    He’s not a head coaching candidate unless the Bucs win. And secondly, why would you assume he’s moving up so quickly? Didn’t work for Leftsandwich.

  9. Boss Says:

    this as a black mark against Liam….that either he did not ask the right question before going to the rams, or they decided he was not good enough.

    either way….it’s a HUGE read flag IMO

    and now he is walking into a situation where he will be running bowles system.

    he’s doing the same as before. not much of a critical thinker.

    todd got his lackey

  10. Tampsbaybucfan Says:

    Ray Davis is projected to be a 4th round pick……which means we could probably get him late in the 3rd round without reaching too much.

    I’d love to see a C/G in round 1, TE in round 2 & Davis in round 3 and a S in round 4.

  11. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Ray Davis is projected to be a 4th round pick……which means we could probably get him late in the 3rd round without reaching too much.

    I’d love to see a C/G in round 1, TE in round 2 & Davis in round 3 and a S in round 4.

  12. VATom Says:

    If this Dude does well enough to be a head coach in ’25 it’ll be a real testament to this organization. Be hard to believe that lightning would strike twice. But I wouldn’t complain about having a top 10 Offense and return to the later stages of the playoffs. I suspect that’s about where we’d have to be to lose another OC. But who knows? I am all for him putting his best effort fwd to get a HC job.

  13. Zoocomics Says:

    I hope many of you are paying attention, especially those that can’t stand Bowles and who blame him for all the failures of this team, and give him zero credit for its successes.

    When our Ex-Offensive coordinator kept plunging a RB down the middle of our Oline, it was Canales…when our Offense was predictable and sluggish during some rough stretches throughout the season, it was Canales, for some reason Bowles can’t shake some of negativity of this fan base.

    Bowles coached situationally, i.e. go for 2-pts, go for it on 4th and short, etc. And the plays that were called during these scenarios were Canales’ plays.

  14. stpetebucfan Says:

    TBBF

    Swap an edge rusher in the 2nd round for the TE and I’m with you.

    I think Otton has shown improvement. More yards last year and his catch % went up from 64 to 70%. Payne Durham flashed his rookie season as well.
    He’s a beast..6-6 253. I did not watch All 22’s or paid much attention to his blocking. He wasn’t in that much. He was only targeted 7x and he caught 5 of them.

    IF Durham can block he’ll get more time..he appears to have good hands like Otton. Bottom line is that unless your Gronk it’s hard to get fed right now on the Bucs…ME13…CG14…White…then perhaps Otton or Palmer.

    Meanwhile we need a big ugly to plug in at either Center or LG as well as another edge rusher.

  15. Duane in Sanford Says:

    He is in a better position to succeed than Canales was last season, he should have the same or better talent coming back, and he has more experience. Expectations are higher.

  16. sasquatch Says:

    Joe’s already calling it a clear path to a head coaching job in 2025. Quite premature don’tcha think? Canales was more the exception than the rule, and had a long history in Seattle, plus the personality that just inspires confidence.

  17. Scott Says:

    Dude will be gone after this year. I said the same with Canales.

  18. geno711 Says:

    stpetebucfan Says:
    February 7th, 2024 at 1:02 pm
    TBBF

    Swap an edge rusher in the 2nd round for the TE and I’m with you.

    I guess I am with you Stpetebucfan. However, I think the draft is very shallow of edge rushers that can actually get sacks this year. Never want to stray too far from where the value is. Mostly get more good players. We have lots of spots we can use good players.

  19. Defense Rules Says:

    Joe … ‘And here he is with the Bucs a year later — with a head coach known for handing the keys to his offensive coordinator and staying out of the way. Whether that’s a clear picture or not is unknown, but that’s what’s on the surface. Bowles is hands-off.’

    And yet that’s NOT was so many in Bucsville believe. In the majority of eyes, Todd Bowles meddles constantly in the offense (run, run, and oh ya, run again) DESPITE the fact that there’s absolutely no proof of that contention.

    Canales spoke very highly of the autonomy & support that Bowles gave him, and it sounds like Coen is similarly impressed. That ‘Bowles is hands off’ the offense seems to be a LOT closer to the truth than the opposite speculation that runs rampant through JBF World.

  20. Mike C Says:

    Boss you are just sad bro hahahahaha

  21. Mike C Says:

    Did you get fired from the Bucs? Did Todd have his way with your wife? What is it that has you $ hit talking the bucs on this web site at almost every opportunity? Who hurt you Boss?

  22. Trey Alderson-Cloutier Says:

    The last sentence scares me. Why the heck did the Glazers choose a defensive head coach? I feel like all the best QBs in the league have an offensive head coach so that they can continue to work in the same system year after year.

    I’m concerned Coen bolts next year like what happened with Canales this year. Or he bolts in 2 years.

  23. Since76 Says:

    If the team loses any of the top free agents on defense or offense the team will take a step backwards. Losing windield more losses. Evans more losses. Wirfs more losses. Hopefully we can keep all of them.

  24. BAKERSBucs says Says:

    The season just ended & how many of u r talking trash bout the new oc bolting next year wtf u people r tooooo much

  25. Woodenman Says:

    I agree Bakersbucs man the guy was just hired and people got him leaving in a year . But I blame Joe every story he writes all be does is talk about him leaving and all that does is get the comments on this blog to reflect that.

  26. stpetebucfan Says:

    GENO

    “I think the draft is very shallow of edge rushers that can actually get sacks this year. Never want to stray too far from where the value is.”

    Agree completely and your a far better evaluator of talent than me.

    The Bucs clearly have no shot at Bama’s Turner. I do not want to waste any draft capital on trading up. That leaves a “possibility” that either FSU’s Jared Verse or UCLA’s Latu “could” drop to the Bucs. The top six picks are supposed to be 3 QB’s followed by 3 QB’s. If a run on QB’s AND WR’s continues maybe the Bucs get lucky.

    So here’s the question for you GENO cause I don’t know. Is there enough value in Verse or Latu for the Bucs first round pick.

  27. MadMax Says:

    Since we’re gonna run, the more I watch this kid the more I like him….workhorse
    back…Audric Estime ND…3rd rd

    thoughts on that LUV?

  28. garro Says:

    “paved path to becoming a head coach in 2025′

    Wait !!!
    We signed Coen for one year?!?

    Are we freaking nuts?

    Go Bucs!