Former Kentucky Assistant Rich Scangarello Eyes Return to NFL

After spending a year away from football, former Kentucky offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello is on the verge of landing a new gig in the NFL.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Scangarello is a frontrunner to be the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterbacks coach. “He was in the building this week and a deal could happen,” said Fowler.

The move would be a return to the AFC West for Scangarello, who was the Broncos offensive coordinator for Vic Fangio in 2019. He previously worked for the Raiders as a quality control assistant when they were located in Oakland back in 2009.

Kentucky hired Scangarello when Liam Coen put the Cats in a pinch back in Feb. 2022. The late decision to return to the Los Angeles Rams forced Mark Stoops to find a new offensive coordinator with only a few weeks before spring practice. Seeking schematic continuity, the Kentucky head coach looked to the NFL to find Coen’s successor. There were a few young risers from the McVay/Shanahan coaching tree on the short list, but Stoops ultimately chose the coach with the most experience. It turned out to be the wrong choice.

Rich Scangarello coached like an NFL veteran who was unwilling to alter his scheme to make it more palatable to college athletes. Even with Will Levis, Chris Rodriguez, and a few record-breaking freshman wide receivers, Kentucky finished last in the SEC in points per game (20.4), third down offense (34.1%), and red zone touchdown percentage (53.1%).

Fired following the disastrous 2022 campaign, Scangarello spent the last year living off some of his $2.625 million buyout. If Antonio Pierce does finalize a deal to bring Scangarello to Vegas, some of that buyout will be offset by his new salary.

During his time away from football last year he did a little bit of coaching. Scangarello has been working with projected No. 1 overall QB Caleb Williams ahead of the NFL Draft.

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