Josh Hines-Allen was on the sidelines at EverBank Stadium when Liam Coen‘s Kentucky offense came up just short in a dramatic loss to the Clemson Tigers in the 2023 Gator Bowl. This year, they will share the sidelines again as Coen takes over as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coach.
The most prolific sack artist in the history of Kentucky football is on the verge of taking that title for the Jaguars. He’s three sacks away from setting the Jacksonville franchise record for career sacks. Even though he’s an established veteran entering his seventh season, the competitive message Coen is sharing with the team still resonates.
“Competition is at an all-time high right now. I gotta compete every single day,” Hines-Allen told Rich Eisen. “I got younger guys coming in, you look at my position, guys are coming in younger, stronger, faster. For me, I’m a Dad of three, so I gotta find a way to stay on top, compete with myself and compete with the others, and push myself. What is my limit? I don’t know. We’ll see at the end of it. Every day, that’s my motivation.”
Hines-Allen broke the Jaguars’ single-season sack record previously held by his mentor, Calais Campbell, when he tallied 17.5 in 2023. That season ended in heartbreak. The Jags lost four of their last five to miss the playoffs, starting the spiral that ultimately ended Doug Pederson’s tenure. This year’s change has revitalized a roster that still has enough talent to compete in postseason football.
“I love the energy that we have this year. For the organization, consistency has probably been the most up and down throughout the years, but I feel like this year, it just feels — everybody’s going to say it feels different — but from being where I was at in this organization, everybody we’ve brought in for the coaching staff has been awesome thus far,” he said.
“Throughout the challenges we’ve competed with every single day, they’ve been level-headed, competitive, want the best out of everybody, demanding, but also know that it’s going to take a village to get where we need to. I think they have the patience, but also the assertiveness to get it done, get it out of us right now.”
Coen’s Jacksonville tenure got off to a rocky start. There was a cat-and-mouse game where he turned down the job to stay in Tampa, then ultimately ended up in Jacksonville. Upon his arrival, he dropped the Jag’s catchphrase “Duuval” in the most awkward manner possible, creating punchlines across the league. Hines-Allen is ready to volunteer the rookies to poke fun at the head coach during training camp, but it’s not all fun and games with Coen.
“He’s been locked in,” said Hines-Allen. “You get a lot of the funny side, the unserious side, but when we step foot on that field, he takes the helm and he’s taking control. He wants everything to be what it needs to be. Our expectations our high for the players, and the coaches as well. I think he’s been all seriousness, but he also has that joking side where we can communicate with him.”
The two spent plenty of time talking about two-way star Travis Hunter. Hines-Allen said if he had to guess, the No. 2 overall pick will spend more time on offense than defense this year. See for yourself.
The post Josh Hines-Allen Details Transition to Liam Coen Era in Jacksonville appeared first on On3.