news-engine

Todd Bowles Said His Relationship With Liam Coen Never Took A Hit August 28th, 2026It was an ugly chapter in Bucs history. Liam Coen, then the Bucs’ offensive coordinator, was coming off a franchise-historic season where the Bucs’ offense proved to be one of the best in the NFL. And just when it appeared all the coaching hires were finished, Coen, so it seemed, tried to squeeze Team Glazer for a raise. They agreed. Then, in the dark of the night, Coen slipped off to Jacksonville. Team Glazer wanted the contract done ASAP. But they couldn’t find Coen when he was supposed to show up at One Buc Palace to sign the paperwork. Unbeknownst to Team Glazer and the Bucs, Coen was interviewing with Jags shot-caller Shad Con Khan for the opening at Jacksonville. And Coen agreed. The Bucs were irate. They thought they had a deal in place. Even the league office had to get involved. It was ugly. But one man stayed above the fray. That was KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles. So naturally, with the Bucs playing their final worthless preseason game of the summer in Jacksonville tonight after a pair of controlled scrimmages, if there is such a thing as a storyline for such a nonsense game where the vast majority of guys on the field will be looking for jobs within 48 hours, the relationship between the Bucs and Coen has resurfaced. Bowles said his association with Coen is unchanged and unfazed. “Oh my, me and Liam have always been great,” Bowels said. “We’ve been great the whole time. Our relationship hasn’t changed a bit. “We talk, we text, we bounce things off each other.” Bowles emphasized he and Coen have a “great” relationship and don’t see that ever changing in the future. Bucs fans are left to wonder what might have been. Coen took over a dormant franchise and in his first season won the AFC South. The Bucs, meanwhile, imploded. Coen’s former right-hand man with the Bucs, Josh Grizzard, was pushed out the door and in his place the Bucs hired one of Coen’s former colleagues with the Rams and perhaps his best friend, Zac Robinson. Bucs fans were sadly left with a dose of what could have been?