After just one year of having Dave Canales lead their offense, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were forced back to the drawing board when the longtime Seattle Seahawks assistant was hired to be the head coach of the division-rival Carolina Panthers this offseason.
The Bucs went back to the same coaching tree that helped produce Canales to land his replacement, hiring Liam Coen from the Kentucky Wildcats.
Coen spent time in the NFL as an assistant under Shane Waldron and Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams. Canales and Waldron worked together during their time in Seattle, which should aid in the transition from one to the other.
So, what kind of offensive strategist are the Bucs getting in Coen?
A mastermind, according to Devin Leary, who played quarterback for Coen at Kentucky last season (via Pewter Report):
“It was an awesome opportunity to learn under Coach Coen,” Leary said. “He really taught me a lot, especially from an NFL standpoint being able to see it at the most elite level. I think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting a really good one. I know he’s going to bring his expertise, his mastermind of the offensive brain. I’m really excited to see what he does with them.”
“I would just say his mastermind in the film room and the way that he could just get up and draw plays that he’s been thinking about all week that could help against a defense,” Leary said on Coen’s best attribute. “I think that’s really impressive when you sit in the film room and you watch him get up on the board. That was my biggest takeaway learning from him.”
The Bucs took a big step toward keeping their offense moving in the right direction earlier this week when they agreed to terms on a new two-year contract to keep star wide receiver Mike Evans in Tampa Bay. The next order of business will be a new extension for quarterback Baker Mayfield, who had the best season of his career last year, and also has history working with Coen in Los Angeles.
If Leary’s assessment of his former coach is correct, the Bucs could be looking at another stellar offensive coordinator hire under head coach Todd Bowles.
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