The Chicago Bears' list has grown to 19 candidates, the largest of any team in the head coach hunt. This has drawn plenty of jokes and derision from certain media members and people across the league. GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren don't seem to care. They are intent on speaking with as many qualified individuals as possible. That includes every conceivable hot offensive mind on the market, from Ben Johnson to Todd Monken and Joe Brady. However, there is one conspicuous absence among those names: Liam Coen.
The 39-year-old is the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who finished top 5 in both total yards and scoring this season. Baker Mayfield threw for a career-high 40 touchdowns while the Bucs were 4th in rushing. Coen received universal praise for his work. So why in the world haven't the Bears reached out? Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog shed some light on that.
Liam Coen doesn't want to make the leap yet.
This isn't entirely unprecedented. Plenty of young coordinators have drawn head coaching interest in the past but knew they weren't ready for those responsibilities. Johnson did that to a degree last year. While he did take some interviews, it didn't take long to reach the conclusion he wasn't yet prepared. So he went back to Detroit. It appears as if Liam Coen is doing the same. That is the only logical explanation for why the Bears wouldn't request an interview. He's a top offensive mind from the Sean McVay coaching tree. Those guys tend to have success as head coaches. It is a no-brainer. Maybe Coen changes his mind after having some time to think about it. If not, there is a strong probability he will be a hot name going into 2026.
