It was supposed to be a standard introductory press conference. You know the drill. A fresh-faced coach stands at a podium, talks about "culture," "grit," and "winning the day," while the local media nods along. But when Liam Coen stepped up to the mic in January 2025 as the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, things took a turn for the weird.
He tried to do it. The chant. The legendary, booming "DUUUVAL!" that echoes through the Bank every Sunday.
Except, it didn't exactly come out booming. It came out... well, let’s just say it launched a thousand memes. The liam coen duval gif was born that very afternoon, and honestly, the internet hasn't let it go since.
What actually happened in the liam coen duval gif?
If you haven’t seen it, the gif captures Coen leaning into the microphone with an almost terrifying amount of intensity. His eyebrows do this strange, independent dance—one goes up, the other follows, and for a split second, he looks like he's trying to solve a complex physics equation while also cheering for a football team.
The sound was even better. Or worse. Depending on who you ask.
He didn't do the long, drawn-out "Duuuuuval" that fans are used to. It was more of a clipped, high-energy "DU-VAL!" that felt like a dad trying to use Gen Z slang at the dinner table. Reddit immediately lost its mind. Fans compared him to everything from Dewey from Malcolm in the Middle to a "baby-faced assassin" who had never actually seen a game in Jacksonville.
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Twitter (or X, if you're being formal) was brutal. The "negative aura" comments started flying. One user on the Jaguars subreddit famously said he looked like a "Picasso painting come to life."
Why it went viral
Sports fans love a good cringe moment. It’s humanizing. When Dan Campbell talked about biting kneecaps in Detroit, everyone laughed. Then he started winning.
The liam coen duval gif followed a similar trajectory. It became a shorthand for "he's a dork, but he's our dork." People weren't mocking him because they hated the hire—they were mocking him because the disconnect between his elite offensive mind and his struggle to yell a county name was objectively hilarious.
The redemption of the "Wacksonville" meme
For a few weeks, people were calling it "Wacksonville." The gif was used every time Coen made a slightly questionable play call or a weird face on the sidelines. But then, the 2025 season actually started.
And Coen started winning. A lot.
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Coming over from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he had just finished a 2024 season leading a top-five offense, Coen brought a level of scheme sophistication that Jacksonville hadn't seen in years. He wasn't just some guy with a funny eyebrow twitch; he was the guy who helped Baker Mayfield throw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Turning 4-13 into 13-4
The Jaguars were coming off a disastrous 4-13 campaign under Doug Pederson. The fan base was exhausted. When Coen arrived, the gif was a way to break the tension.
- The Offensive Explosion: By mid-season, the Jags were leading the AFC South.
- The Culture Shift: Players started leaning into the quirkiness.
- The Combine Joke: Even Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham got in on the action, hitting Coen with a "DUVAL!" during his combine interview. Coen just laughed.
By the time the Jaguars clinched the division with a 13-4 record, the liam coen duval gif had transitioned from a "look at this loser" meme to a "this is our mad scientist" badge of honor.
How the gif lives on in 2026
We're now in early 2026, and the gif is a staple of Jaguars "Twitter." It’s used after every touchdown. It’s used when the team makes a big trade. It’s even used when the official team account wants to poke fun at their own coach.
The reality is that Liam Coen understood the assignment, even if his vocal cords didn't. He knew he had to win over a city that identifies deeply with its county name. Duval isn't just a place; it's a vibe. It's gritty, it's loud, and it's a little bit unpolished.
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In a weird way, Coen's awkward, unpolished chant was the most "Duval" thing he could have done. It wasn't a corporate, pre-packaged PR move. It was a guy who had dreamed of being an NFL head coach since he was four years old, drawing plays on his bedroom floor, finally getting his shot and being way too excited to function.
Actionable insights for the Jags faithful
If you're still searching for that gif or wondering if the "aura" has finally shifted, here is what you need to know about the Coen era moving forward:
- Don't overthink the memes. In the modern NFL, a coach who can be a meme is a coach who is relatable to his players. The locker room loves him because he’s authentic.
- Watch the red zone. Coen’s real value isn't in his shouting; it's in his 2024 Tampa Bay stats where he led the league in third-down conversion rates (over 50%).
- Expect the "Duval" to improve. Reports from training camp suggest he's been practicing. Or maybe he’s just leaning into the weirdness. Either way, it’s working.
The liam coen duval gif isn't just a funny loop of a guy in a suit. It's the moment the 2025 Jaguars found their identity. They’re a little bit goofy, a little bit intense, and—as it turns out—really, really good at football.
Next time you see that gif pop up in your feed, remember that the guy with the dancing eyebrows just took a bottom-dweller to a 13-win season. Maybe we should all start yelling "DU-VAL!" like that.