Jaguars coach Liam Coen reunites with former Buccaneers assistant Brian Picucci, now tasked with revitalizing Jacksonville's ground attack and building on a strong offensive foundation.
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has snagged a coach from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he crossed paths with in both Tampa and Kentucky. Per multiple reports, the Jaguars are hiring Buccaneers offensive line coach Brian Picucci as their run-game coordinator.
Picucci spent two seasons with the Buccaneers, coaching their offensive line. He was an assistant offensive line coach in 2024 and was promoted to offensive line coach in 2025 -- while his title was offensive line coach, he was still more of an assistant to Bucs run game coordinator Kevin Carberry.
Picucci worked with Coen in Tampa in 2024, after the two worked together at the University of Kentucky in 2023, when Coen was the offensive coordinator for the Wildcats. Picucci helped with the offensive line.
In addition, Picucci coached Coen from 2005-2008 at UMass, where Coen was a four-year starter at quarterback.
Picucci brings over 30 years of coaching experience to the Jaguars, with collegiate stops at Southern Connecticut State, UMass (part of the 1998 1-AA national championship team), Northeastern, Central Connecticut State, Widener and Maine.
Picucci got his first NFL coaching job in 2018, working with tight ends for the Detroit Lions under coach Matt Patricia. He held that position for two seasons.
With the help of Coen and Picucci, among others on the staff, the Buccaneers fielded one of the top offenses in the NFL in 2024. The Bucs finished third in the league in total yards (399.5 yards per game), fourth in points scored (502), third in passing (250.4 ypg), and fourth in rushing (149.2).
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield enjoyed a career year under Coen and Picucci, throwing for a career-high 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. Mayfield has just one other season (2023) with at least 4,000 yards and has thrown fewer than 30 touchdowns in every other season of his career.
After Coen took over last January, the Jaguars asked the Buccaneers to interview Picucci, but Tampa declined the request. Picucci's promotion to Jacksonville means he will be tasked with improving a run game that ranked 20th in the league, having gained just over 115 yards per game, even with a platoon of talent in a back field that features impending free agent Trevor Etienne and underused 2025 draft pick Bhayshul Tuten.
The 2025 Jaguars ground game barely edged that of the Buccaneers, who averaged 114.5 yards per game. However, the Buccaneers were a top-10 rushing team, tied for seventh overall in expected points added per rush (0.00), per Next Gen Stats. The Jaguars (-0.04), were tied for 17th.
Picucci is a strong addition to Coen's staff, which led the Jaguars to their first 13-win season since 1999 and helped quarterback Trevor Lawrence to one of the best seasons of his career. The fifth-year starter passed for 4,000 yards for the third time in his career, threw a career-high 29 TDs, and set the Jaguars' franchise record with 38 total touchdowns.
If the Jaguars' offensive line continues improving -- and can stay healthy -- Lawrence and Jacksonville's backfield have a chance to be even better in 2026. Picucci's move from Tampa to Duval has the makings of one of the most underrated coaching hires of the offseason.
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