Once Rhode Island high school rivals, Liam Coen and Brad White reconnect as UK's coordinators

A native of Warwick, Rhode Island, new Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen heads to Lexington after stops at UMass as a player, followed by Brown, Rhode Island, UMass, Maine and the Los Angeles Rams as a coach.

At Kentucky, Coen joins defensive coordinator and fellow Rhode Island native Brad White, who also had stops at Wake Forest (player), Murray State, Air Force and the Indianapolis Colts as a coach before making his way to Lexington in 2018.

The former graduated from La Salle Academy in Providence, Rhode Island back in 2004, while the latter – a Portsmouth native – graduated from La Salle’s rival, Bishop Hendricken High School, in 2000.

“Rivals, they were rivals in high school,” head coach Mark Stoops said of the relationship this afternoon. “They were a different era, Brad’s older, but rival high schools.”

“How about that? I think there’s about three or four in the NFL or Division I football, so there’s not many,” Coen said of the bizarre Rhode Island connection between him and his new coordinating partner in Lexington.

Oddly enough, Coen followed White’s football career as a player and coach rather closely, admiring his play on the field and coaching ability after the fact.

In fact, Coen says he can remember White’s jersey numbers and the prominent neck roll he used as a player.

“It’s funny, Brad and I don’t really know each other personally,” Coen said. “I didn’t have his phone number until today, but I remember what jersey number Brad White wore – there were two of them – I remember his big neck roll that he wore at Bishop Hendricken High School.

“I was an eighth grader when he was a senior at Hendricken, I went to La Salle Academy, two rival private catholic high schools in Rhode Island. I just always respected him as a player, I was like, “This kid’s a stud. He’s a stud.” He went on to play at Wake Forest, I followed his career on to the Colts and Air Force.”

Following his football journey from afar, Coen has always heard “unbelievable things” about White and is grateful the “small world” is bringing the Rhode Island natives together for the first time in their professional careers.

“I always followed him, but we never really connected on a personal or professional level,” Coen told reporters. “I’ve just heard unbelievable things about him from everybody that I’ve talked to. Small world, man. Such a small world, how these things work out. I’m just very excited to get to work with him.”

Once high school rivals, Coen and White will now coach alongside one another across the line of scrimmage.