A deal is a deal until it’s not in the NFL.
Liam Coen’s decision to withdraw his name from consideration for Jacksonville’s head coaching position and sign a new contract to remain the offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay didn’t last long.
Coen passed up the opportunity to become the highest-paid assistant coach in the NFL and took a second interview with the Jaguars on Thursday, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because neither side confirmed the meeting.
Coen changed his mind just one day after agreeing on a deal with the Buccaneers. The Jaguars fired general manager Trent Baalke after Coen told them he was staying put in Tampa Bay.
Baalke’s departure cleared a path for Coen to reconsider turning down Jacksonville.
It’s not the first time coaches or players reversed course.
On Jan. 19, 2002, Parcells informed the Buccaneers he wasn’t coming out of retirement to replace Tony Dungy. Parcells had been the lone candidate under consideration and his decision left the team scrambling.
Parcells, who was 60 at the time, said he couldn’t make the commitment to coaching at his age. He eventually returned to the sideline a year later and coached Dallas for four seasons, going to just one playoff game.
Tampa Bay ended up trading for Jon Gruden and won the Super Bowl in his first season.
Parcells had previously spurned the Buccaneers 10 years earlier.
Then-owner Hugh Culverhouse said he felt like “we’ve been jilted at the altar.”
On Jan. 4, 2020, Belichick was set to succeed Parcells as the head coach of the New York Jets after serving as defensive coordinator on his staff. Instead, he resigned at his introductory news conference, writing the words on what some have described as a napkin and others a loose piece of paper.
Belichick’s rights were traded from the Jets to the Patriots and he went on to team with Tom Brady to lead New England to six Super Bowl titles. Belichick’s reasoning has remained a mystery. Some have speculated he didn’t want to coach in the shadow of Parcells, who was staying with the Jets to oversee personnel.
On Feb. 6, 2018, two days after Belichick and the Patriots lost to the Eagles in the Super Bowl, McDaniels told Indianapolis he wasn’t taking the job after agreeing to contract terms following two meetings with owner Jim Irsay.
McDaniels changed his mind because he wanted to keep his family in New England and the Patriots gave him a raise to remain the offensive coordinator.
McDaniels, who coached Denver in 2009-10, ended up leaving New England again to coach Las Vegas in 2022-23. He’s back for a third stint with the Patriots on Mike Vrabel’s staff.
McDaniels’ decision had a ripple effect in Philadelphia. The Colts hired Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who played an instrumental role in helping the team beat New England in the Super Bowl.
On Feb. 3, 2024, Kingsbury told the Raiders he wasn’t going to be their offensive coordinator after agreeing to join Antonio Pierce’s staff two days earlier.
Kingsbury, who was Arizona’s head coach from 2019-22, instead elected to take the same position on Dan Quinn’s staff in Washington. He’s played a key role in Jayden Daniels’ development and the Commanders are in the NFC championship game against Philadelphia on Sunday.
On March 10, 2015, Gore signed with the Colts after agreeing on a one-year deal with the Eagles in free agency during the NFL’s legal tampering window.
Gore, a five-time Pro Bowl running back, had spent his first 10 seasons in San Francisco. He went on to play three seasons in Indianapolis, one with Miami, one with Buffalo and one with the Jets.
Several years later, Gore explained to the AP why he changed his mind about Philadelphia.
“Nick Foles called me, I committed to him and said I was going to come. He called me, said congrats, can’t wait to get on the field. And then the next day he gets traded. Then I see Jeremy Maclin, he goes to Kansas City. Then I’m like, ’Man,” Gore said. “At the time, 10 years, 11,000 yards, I’m trying to win a championship. I got a taste of the Super Bowl with San Fran but we didn’t win, so I’m searching to go to a championship. I see Nick Foles get traded, I see Maclin go to Kansas City, and they already let DeSean Jackson go (to) Washington. I love the coach, that’s my dog Chip Kelly, we still talk. But I just felt like when I saw the pieces leaving, we couldn’t win a Super Bowl there.
“So I saw the Colts, they were off the AFC championship, I thought if I go to the Colts and I called Andre Johnson, I think we can get them over the top. That’s why I went to Indy.”
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