Liam Coen reportedly a "prime candidate" for Rams OC job when it opens up

On3 imageby:Zack Geoghegan02/13/22

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After today’s Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Rams intend on losing a significant amount of its coaching staff, and Kentucky fans need to pay close attention.

Current Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell has already accepted the head coaching position with Minnesota Vikings, which will go into effect once Sunday’s game is over. But not only that, O’Connell is expected to bring Rams tight ends coach/passing game coordinator Wes Phillips with him to Minny. On top of that, Rams secondary coach/passing game coordinator Ejiro Evero is in talks to take the defensive coordinator job with the Denver Broncos. All of this comes by way of ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who expects plenty of coaching staff turnover this offseason for the Rams.

And as you might be able to guess, that means Liam Coen’s name is going to pop up once again. According to Schefter, Kentucky Football’s current play-caller “is a prime candidate to succeed O’Connell” as the Rams offensive coordinator. Coen’s name has been mentioned before in connection to the Rams OC job, but this is the first we’re hearing of any concrete news of LA’s intentions.

Schefter lists two other possible candidates in his article, mentioning Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson as someone who could garner interest. Olson is expected to return to the Rams this offseason anyways and could slide him into that OC role. The other name mentioned is the Rams’ current running backs coach, Thomas Brown, who is in line to take an OC or head coaching job in the near future.

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 LA, he will be calling the plays.

UK can give Coen the chance to run an offense with a quarterback he recruited to Lexington 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 for Coen, 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 offensive 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.

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2024-03-28