Photo of Lynn Jones-Turpin and Liam Coen
Screengrab

Jacksonville reporter Lynn Jones-Turpin went viral on Sunday when she told Jaguars head coach Liam Coen to “Hold your head up,” following the team’s loss in the NFL playoffs.

Jones, who works for the Jacksonville Free Press, made the uplifting remark during a press conference following the Jaguars playoffs loss to the Buffalo Bills on January 11.

Jones said to Coen:

“I just want to tell you, congratulations on your success, young man. You hold your head up, all right? You guys have had a most magnificent season. You did a great job out there today. You just hold your head up, OK? Ladies and gentlemen, Duval, you the one. Keep it going, we got another season, OK? Take care, and much continued success to you and the entire team.”

Jones was criticized by her fellow reporters for showing empathy for Coen.

Sports journalist Jemele Hill tweeted: “That can’t be a reporter. Cause if so, I would not have used the term awesome.”

Jemele backtracked after Jaguars fans roasted her on X:

“What I would say to my fellow media members — and to the general public — is that if we’re going to have this much discourse about @JacksonvilleFP reporter Lynn Jones, the very least we could do is follow her publication on social media and subscribe. This is one of the few Black newspapers still in existence.”

Mark Harrington, of the Buffalo News, tweeted: “Awesome? Are you serious? That’s not a reporter. That person shouldn’t even have a credential.”

Mark Long, of the Associated Press, wrote on X: “Nothing ‘awesome’ about fans/fake media doing stuff like that. It should be embarrassing for the people who credentialed her and her organization.”

Fred Purdue wrote:

“Not a Jags fan but Lynn Jones did something different yesterday. She spoke life into a young coach. It’s not her job and nobody asked for it but she did it. The world is speaking down on a black woman because she spoke positivity. We need more of Lynn Jones.”

Former NBA star Matt Barnes said on his podcast, “I see nothing wrong with what she did.”

Jones defended her 23 years as a reporter in the Jacksonville area during an interview with News4.

Watch the videos below.