JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Standing on the practice field Thursday afternoon at the Miller Electric Center, Tim Coen watched quietly as his son led another Jaguars practice. In three days, Jacksonville will host the Bills in the AFC wild card round.
Less than a year after being hired, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has transformed a 4-13 team into a 13-4 Super Bowl contender. As Tim reflected on his own coaching journey, his pride was evident. Watching his son command the field — calm, confident, and respected — felt surreal.
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“Whenever I coached, I never coached for me,” Tim Coen said. “I always coached because I used to watch after the game and watch all the guys celebrate the win. That made me more proud than anything else. I didn’t care about my records and all that stuff. Watching the guys have fun with the game because it’s the game we love. My dad was a football coach.
“I was a football coach. My son now is a real football coach, and watching him go right now, watching the locker room, watching the players out at practice, watching him run a practice, and watching how calm he stays during games — he’s done an unbelievable job.”
When the Jaguars beat the Colts 23-17 in Week 17 for their seventh straight victory, Coen made history, becoming the only rookie head coach in NFL history to win at least 12 games after inheriting a team with four or fewer wins the previous season. One week later, Jacksonville dismantled Tennessee 41-7 to capture the AFC South title for the first time since 2022 and secure the No. 3 seed.
For Tim Coen, those accomplishments were overwhelming, not because of the numbers, but because of the journey.
“Getting to be at this level is a surprise to everybody,” he said. “But I know anybody that knows Liam and knew him since he’s grown up, they’re not surprised that he’s gotten this far and they’re not surprised in his success, nor am I. Expectation levels are quite high, but I’m just happy for him.”
After every Jaguars win, the locker room fills with anticipation. Players gather at the center, waiting for their head coach to sprint in and shout, “How’s that feel?” as his excitement nearly overwhelms him. The celebration sparks chaos, laughter, and joy, a phrase rooted deep in family tradition.
HOW’S THAT FEEL?!#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/KwDqPFgoxj
— z - Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 4, 2026
“All my high school buddies text me, and they all reach out to him too and stuff and think it’s kind of cool that we have the same — that I kind of took that on,” Liam Coen said. “It was the same exact deal he did. We were pretty good when I was playing, so we said it a lot. But he’s been doing that; he was doing that I think since college, and when he came to coach me in high school, he did the same thing. So, kind of took that one on.”
Tim said that his son had become accustomed to winning in high school, and that it had just become a rallying cry after games.
“When Liam was in high school, and I quit coaching college to coach him, we went 44-3 while he was there, so we did ‘how does that feel?’ quite often,” Tim Coen said. “He was used to that, and all of his teammates were used to that, and so they bring it up. My college kids, I did that when I was coaching college, too. I hear it all the time online now. ‘Coach, how’s that feel?’ They all watch his video in the locker room, and I mean, it’s just exciting. The whole thing about it is, I’m proud.”
That pride extends far beyond a single phrase. Tim Coen sees his own coaching DNA reflected in the way players respond to his son; the trust, the energy, and the willingness to give everything for him.
“My greatest asset was guys would play hard for me, and they enjoyed playing for me,” Tim Coen said. “They enjoyed coming to practice, they worked really hard, and they didn’t want to disappoint. I see the same thing in my son, and kids really relate to him. It doesn’t matter if you play offense, defense, or special teams. My son gets along with most everybody, and I think they respect the fact that he works his tail off, so they work hard for him. They don’t want to disappoint.”
Football has always been a family language for the Coens. Tim spent nine years building a Division III program, compiling a 53-12 record. Those years doubled as Liam’s classroom — afternoons spent at practice, tossing footballs, absorbing everything around him.
“Liam got to go to practice quite often, so he hung around with the guys,” Tim Coen said. “He was only like 10 at the time, but he knows those kids, and those kids all remember him as being this little kid that would be around all the time, throwing footballs. That’s all he wanted to do was be around football, so they feel that they’re part of this too. All these guys in New England that were Patriot fans now are Jaguar fans. They call me all the time. They have their Jaguar hats on. They’re really into the Jaguars. They feel a part of it, so it’s all just really cool for our family, and I’m sure for Liam.”
The bond between father and son has endured through wins, losses, and countless long days on the field. Their story began long before a call from Jaguars owner Shad Khan. It began back when Tim was still coaching, and Liam was still playing.
“Coaching him was so simple because he was one of those kids that he could have a bad day in school or his girlfriend broke up with him or something,” Tim Coen said. “But as soon as he stepped on the football field, you could just see he brightens up. That’s when you see a different guy, and that’s where he loves it so much that I love watching him.”
As the Jaguars begin their postseason journey toward Super Bowl 60, Tim Coen said he wishes his own father could see what Liam has built in Jacksonville. Still, he believes his dad is watching, proud of a legacy passed down through generations, now shining on football’s biggest stage.