Liam Coen is likely a candidate for Rams next offensive coordinator

The NFL coaching carousel has taken another turn and its ripple effects could reach the University of Kentucky, specifically offensive coordinator Liam Coen.

Entering National Signing Day, most folks in the know expected Minnesota to hire Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. After a lengthy interview, the Vikings went in a different direction, choosing L.A. Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. A formal announcement will be made after the Rams face the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

Once again, Sean McVay will be looking for an offensive coordinator. Jourdan Rodrigue, a reporter from The Athletic and proprietor of the internet’s second-best 11 Personnel podcast, expects Liam Coen to be in the mix for the vacant position.

With @ChadGraff reporting Kevin O’Connell as ultimate Minnesota HC, Rams RBs/asst. HC Thomas Brown would be the obvious internal promotion in my opinion. But I would expect Sean McVay to show substantial interest in Liam Coen, his former QBs asst. who OC’d for Kentucky last year.

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) February 3, 2022

Coen’s connections with his former colleagues remain strong. He was in Tampa for the Rams’ playoff win over the Bucs that ended Tom Brady’s career. In his first year back in the college ranks, he turned UK’s stagnant offense into one that finished ranked in the top 20 of ten different major statistical categories.

Why Coen Could Stay at UK

Kentucky offered Coen an opportunity he could not get in Los Angeles: the chance to call plays. Assistants gain valuable schematic knowledge by watching film and curating game plans, but you cannot test that knowledge as a play-caller if the head coach is running the show. As long as Sean McVay is in L.A., he will be calling the plays.

Kentucky can give Coen the chance to run an offense with a quarterback he recruited to UK that could transform into a first round draft pick in 2022. When he was hired, most believed there was a two-year window for the new offensive coordinator before he returned to the NFL. Few jobs would change that plan, except maybe this one.

Why Coen Can’t Say No

As well as things have gone for Liam in Lexington, if he is offered the job, it’s an offer he cannot resist. A month from now Coen could be the offesnive coordinator for the defending Super Bowl Champs. McVay has established the Rams as a stable franchise and they have enough superstars under contract to keep the Super Bowl window open for at least 2-3 more years.

Most importantly, “Rams offensive coordinator” might as well be titled “future NFL head coach.” O’Connell is not the first, nor will he be the last from the McVay coaching tree to become an NFL head coach. McVay’s Super Bowl foe, Zac Taylor, was a former staffer. The team that shares SoFi Stadium with the Rams is coached by a former McVay assistant, Brandon Staley. The Green Bay Packers had the best record in the NFC with former Rams’ offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur leading the way.

Other Potential Candidates

Coen is not the only former Rams assistant McVay could interview for the position. Greg Olson was McVay’s first quarterbacks coach in Los Angeles. After spending four seasons with the Raiders, he’s looking for a new job. L.A. might be an ideal landing spot for Olson. As Rodrigue reported, McVay may also choose to promote Thomas Brown from within, something he’s done previously.

If Coen ultimately decides to depart after one season in Lexington to become an NFL offensive coordinator, he will leave the program in good hands. Play-callers will line up outside of Mark Stoops’ door to coach this Kentucky offense with Will Levis, Chris Rodriguez and a host of playmakers returning from a top 25 offense. Coen’s 2021 season changed the trajectory of the Kentucky football program, using success to attract talent at playmaking positions. The BBN must simply wait over the next two weeks and see if Coen will be around to run it back for one more year.