Kentucky to Jacksonville, Josh Hines-Allen compares Mark Stoops and Liam Coen as head coaches

Josh Hines-Allen won the game for the Jacksonville Jaguars, getting his arm on Houston quarterback CJ Stroud on a crucial 3rd and 1 with the Texans driving for a potential game-tying touchdown drive in the final minute. He knocked the ball loose, allowing for an interception by defensive back Antonio Johnson — and victory formation to move to 2-1 on the year.

He finished with two tackles (one solo), one pass deflection and 0.5 sacks — but three QB hits — to bring his season total to eight tackles (five solo) while leading the NFL in total QB pressures with 18. Now, he’s just two sacks away from breaking Jacksonville’s franchise record of 55 career sacks, Hines-Allen sitting at 53.5 in seven seasons as a Jaguar.

Full extension from @JoshHinesAllen ✔️
The diving grab from @Antonio_johns0n ✔️

📺: NFL+ pic.twitter.com/yy5HF2Wgdl

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 21, 2025

He’s doing it with a familiar face calling the shots in Duval, former Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen now Hines-Allen’s head coach as a Jaguar. Funny how life works out, huh? That’s a partnership that is working out quite nicely, in the superstar pass-rusher’s opinion.

“I love it, man. He’s been an awesome leader, very stern leader,” Hines-Allen said of Coen. “He demands a lot from our guys, but not out of, kick you while you’re down. It’s a, ‘We’re going to challenge you because I want the best from you.’ He demands it not only from us but from the coaching staff, as well, and from himself. So just a great guy to be around, a good guy to lead, and a great guy to potentially follow.”

His Kentucky departures — plural — were polarizing ones. Coen was the OC for the Wildcats in 2021, leading Will Levis, Wan’Dale Robinson and Chris Rodriguez to historic campaigns in a 10-win season for the blue and white. That one-and-done stint led to a return to the Los Angeles Rams as the offensive coordinator under Sean McVay in 2022. He then returned to Lexington in 2023, only to leave again the following offseason to become the OC with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024.

One year later, he’s the head coach of the Jaguars — this time actually ready to “plant roots” in Jacksonville. That never happened at Kentucky, and it undoubtedly rubbed some fans the wrong way.

But after hanging out with Big Blue Nation back in town for Kentucky’s week-one win over Toledo, then again for his UK Athletics Hall of Fame induction, Hines-Allen relayed the message that plenty of love remains for Coen back in Lexington. As short as his stints were, the offenses were still pretty darn fun.

“I was here for the first game, and I went back. Just the love, just the conversations I had with people that he got brought up in. He was very loved here and very appreciated,” Hines-Allen said of Coen. “So I went back and let him know that, ‘BBN still loves you, man. They appreciate the time that you were here. They’re happy that you’re having a lot of success with me now.'”

How does his new coach in Duval compare to his old coach in college, Mark Stoops? He loves both, obviously, but his time in Lexington is where he got his start and made a name for himself. That was before he had money and had to earn it all the hard way, made a family out of his teammates and staffers.

The longest-tenured coach in the SEC was a big reason for that success, he says, and he’s thankful for the time he got to spend in the blue and white.

“Coach Stoops was very hands-on with me throughout my whole four years. When you look back at my senior year, he was a guy that I kind of leaned on just to talk ball and to understand where I’m at, where my family is, just being somebody I can consult with,” Hines-Allen told KSR. “I can go over to his house and he can barbecue. I was still in college, so I didn’t have that much money. I’d go over there and get a meal — but not just me, it was the whole team. He definitely instilled that culture. 

“For us to see that from the coaches, it kind of dug deep into everybody else. We kind of made a family. I still have my brotherhood, the guys that I played with here that are still in the league. We still stay connected. We created all that here, and that’s thanks to Coach Stoops and those guys.”

He’s eight years removed from his time as a student-athlete in Lexington, but that doesn’t mean he’s kept his distance physically or virtually. We already know about the trips back to his Old Kentucky Home, but he also keeps up with the Cats with his new coach (and old friend of the program).

They don’t watch games together all the time, but they certainly keep a close eye on it together.

“We definitely talk a lot of Kentucky football,” he told KSR.