Tag: liam coen

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield gives praise to new OC Liam Coen

Mayfield is a big fan of Coen after working with him in 2022 and praised the continuity between him and Dave Canales’ offense.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially hired Kentucky Wildcats offensive coordinator Liam Coen on Saturday. Coen will replace former Bucs OC Dave Canales, who was hired as head coach of the Carolina Panthers on Jan. 25.

Coen previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2021 and 2023 and served on Sean McVay’s staff with the Los Angeles Rams from 2018-20 and 2022.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield, who worked with Coen when he was the offensive coordinator of the Rams in 2022, was asked what he thought about the potential hire on Friday morning. He said Coen is a great guy and emphasized the similarities in his offensive style to the system Canales ran with Tampa.

“Same system, just some different terminology,” Mayfield said. “There’s something to say about that with continuity within the offense for skill guys, the offensive line — it’s important to have.”

According to Mayfield, there were a lot of great options that the Bucs front office interviewed for their vacant offensive coordinator position. Among the most notable candidates Tampa Bay interviewed were Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson, former Cleveland Browns OC Alex Van Pelt and Detroit Lions WR Coach Antwaan Randle El.

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Bucs reach agreement to hire Liam Coen as offensive coordinator

The Bucs get their guy in Liam Coen, who could bring some continuity to Tampa Bay’s offense after the departure of Dave Canales.

The reports have been confirmed — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have their man.

FOX Sports’ Greg Auman reported on Saturday that Kentucky Wildcats offensive coordinator Liam Coen is set to be Tampa Bay’s new OC. The hiring comes a day after reports that the two sides were close to striking a deal.

Coen’s offense will have some continuity with that of Dave Canales’ offense, as he worked with current Chicago Bears OC Shane Waldron in Los Angeles under Sean McVay. Waldron was the OC in Seattle from 2021-23, and a lot of Canales’ offense is thus inspired by McVay’s through Waldron. As a result, the scheme and plays should be quite similar, avoiding a total change to the playbook.

The move may also help retain quarterback Baker Mayfield. Coen worked with Mayfield in 2022 when Mayfield had his very brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams, so the familiarity there could be a draw for the signal caller to come back to Tampa Bay. Mayfield told reporters he wanted to wait to see who was calling the plays in Tampa Bay before continuing talks, and now that it has happened, those talks can indeed continue.

Coen spent 2023 as the offensive coordinator for the Kentucky Wildcats, which wasn’t an unfamiliar job with him, either. He also spent 2021 in Lexington, and he was able to coach Will Levis to his best college season. Whether he can bring the same value to Mayfield remains to be seen, but between the continuity and his QB experience, there’s a lot to like about Tampa Bay’s new hire.

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Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen reportedly taking NFL job

Kentucky’s offensive coordinator is reportedly returning to the NFL.

Only a year after returning to Kentucky from the NFL, Liam Coen is now set to make the move back to the professional game according to reports, as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator is reportedly taking the same position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After serving as an assistant with the Los Angeles Rams from 2018-20, Coen was originally hired as Kentucky’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach ahead of the 2021 season, where he would lead the Wildcats to a solid year offensively. Under Coen, the Wildcats ranked No. 36 nationally with an average of 32.3 PPG, as well as 425.4 yards of total offense.

Coen would go on to re-join the Rams in 2022 however as their offensive coordinator, but would remain in Los Angeles for only one season before returning to Lexington this past fall as OC.

In 2023, the Wildcats ranked No. 58 nationally with an average of 29.1 PPG offensively, while also averaging 339.5 yards per game.

Coen is now reportedly set to takeover a Buccaneers offense that ranked No. 20 in the NFL this past season with an average of 20.5 PPG.

Dennis Allen to coach against Liam Coen, his former target for Saints OC

Dennis Allen to coach against Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, his former target for the same role with the Saints:

Dennis Allen knew that the New Orleans Saints offense needed new life when he was hired as head coach back in 2022 — it’s why he interviewed external candidates before circling back to Pete Carmichael and naming him their play caller. But one of those offensive coordinator candidates Allen pursued is going to be coaching against him.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have “zeroed in on” Kentucky offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Liam Coen to replace Dave Canales (who was hired as the new Carolina Panthers head coach). A former Los Angeles Rams assistant who worked with Baker Mayfield in 2022, the hope in Tampa is that Coen can maintain the success Mayfield found last season.

And Coen was someone hot on Allen’s radar a couple years back. Coen ultimately stayed where he was comfortable (he’s gone back and forth from Kentucky to the Rams three times in three years), and his return to the NFL is still based around familiarity. We’ll see if his offense was all it’s made out to be.

So where does this leave the league’s search for new offensive coordinators? Just three teams, maybe four, are still in the hunt for a new play caller: the Saints, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Los Angeles Chargers — though the Washington Commanders have not decided whether Eric Bieniemy is part of head coach Dan Quinn’s plans. If Bieniemy is on the outs, that’s four landing spots for candidates to consider.

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Bucs set to hire Kentucky’s Liam Coen for OC position, per reports

Should the Bucs hire Coen, they’ll get an OC who studied under Sean McVay and who worked directly with Baker Mayfield in 2022.

It isn’t official yet, but it’s looking like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have their guy.

The Bucs are set to hire Kentucky Wildcats offensive coordinator Liam Coen, per the NFL Network’s Liam Garafolo. If that deal does go through, the move would likely bring Coen back together with quarterback Baker Mayfield, who he worked with in 2022.

Coen was the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 before he left to take a position as OC of the Kentucky Wildcats, a position he also served in in 2021. Coen was OC when Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis was at Kentucky, and the one year he was with the Rams, Matt Stafford got injured late in the year and Mayfield took over during the last frame of the season.

If the Bucs hire Coen, they are not only getting a coach familiar with Mayfield, but one who has worked with Rams coach Sean McVay. McVay disciples are a huge part of the NFL at the moment, and Coen will be another one who could continue to bring his offensive philosophy to the league. The Mayfield connection could be a bigger part of it, though, as Mayfield said Thursday that he needs to know who’s calling the plays before making a decision to stay in Tampa Bay.

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Former Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen to be hired as Bucs’ OC

Another one of Sean McVay’s former assistants will be an offensive coordinator this year, with Liam Coen heading to the Bucs

Sean McVay has already lost several coaches this offseason, including Raheem Morris, Jimmy Lake and Zac Robinson. His former assistants are getting opportunities around the NFL, as well.

According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Buccaneers plan to hire Liam Coen as their offensive coordinator under Todd Bowles. He’ll replace Dave Canales, who was hired as the Panthers’ head coach this offseason.

Coen bounced between the Rams and Kentucky in the last four years. He started out as the Rams’ assistant WRs coach from 2018-2019 before being promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020. He then left to become Kentucky’s offensive coordinator in 2021, rejoined the Rams as their OC in 2022, and then left for Kentucky again in 2023 to become their OC.

Now he’s back in the NFL as the Buccaneers’ coordinator, his sixth different job in as many years.

Coen worked with Baker Mayfield on the Rams’ staff in 2022, and assuming their connection was strong, it could help the Buccaneers retain Mayfield as he’s set to hit free agency.

7 realistic OC candidates the Eagles can target after parting ways with Brian Johnson

We’re looking at seven realistic candidates who could replace Brian Johnson as Offensive Coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles

After a late-season meltdown that saw the Eagles go 1-6 in their final seven games, including the playoffs, the head coach is on the hot seat, and his assistant coaches are all expected to depart. 

Philadelphia’s third-year head coach has far exceeded expectations, but it’s clear that Johnson Gannon and Shane Steichen played far more significant roles than we thought.

The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane reports that offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, 36, won’t return after one season as the player-caller that saw him oversee the NFL’s No. 8-ranked unit but struggling to get consistent results during a late-season slide that included a blowout playoff loss to the Buccaneers.

Johnson recently interviewed for two different head coaching jobs — with the Falcons and Titans — but is expected to leave the Eagles regardless, per Derrick Gunn, likely landing “elsewhere in some offensive capacity.”

With things starting to heat up, we’re looking at seven realistic options for an offensive coordinator.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman, HC Nick Sirianni reaching out to coordinator candidates

After finishing their exit meeting, Eagles GM Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni have begun reaching out to potential coordinator candidates

It appears that Nick Sirianni will be safe and keep his job as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles after meeting with owner Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman.

The same can’t be said for his assistants on both sides of the football.

Dianna Russini reports that Roseman and Sirianni have contacted potential coordinator candidates on the offensive and defensive sides.

Sirianni gets much credit for the Eagles’ success over the past three seasons.

Still, after a late-season meltdown that saw the Eagles go 1-6 in their final seven games, including the playoffs, the head coach and his assistant coaches expected were on the hot seat.

Philadelphia’s third-year head coach has far exceeded expectations, but it’s clear that Gannon and Steichen played far more prominent roles than we thought.

We previewed potential offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator candidates, and as the process began, the dominoes started to fall.

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10 offensive coordinator candidates the Eagles could target if Brian Johnson departs

We’re looking at ten offensive coordinator candidates the Philadelphia Eagles could target if Brian Johnson departs or is fired

Nick Sirianni officially has his own coaching tree after the Cardinals hired Jonathan Gannon and the Colts hired Shane Steichen in the 2023 coaching carousel.

Sirianni rightfully gets a lot of credit for the Eagles’ success.

Still, after a late-season meltdown that saw the Eagles go 1-6 in their final seven games, including the playoffs, the head coach and his assistant coaches could be on the hot seat.

Philadelphia’s third-year head coach has far exceeded expectations, but it’s clear that Gannon and Steichen played far more significant roles than we thought.

Report: Bears to interview Kentucky’s Liam Coen for vacant OC position

CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports the Bears are planning to interview University of Kentucky’s Liam Coen for their OC position.

The Chicago Bears are set to interview another candidate for their vacant offensive coordinator position, and it looks like they have zeroed in on a certain type of coach.

On Friday evening, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reported the Bears plan to interview University of Kentucky offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Liam Coen for their coordinator position.

Coen has coached various offensive positions since 2010, but has primarily bounced back and forth between Kentucky and the Los Angeles Rams in recent seasons as their offensive coordinator. In 2023, he coordinated a transitioning Kentucky offense that saw quarterback Devin Leary throw for 2,746 yards with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In 2021, he helped put quarterback Will Levis on the map in his first season as a Wildcat with his 2,826 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions during Kentucky’s 10-3 campaign.

In between those stints, Coen spent the 2022 season as the Rams’ offensive coordinator on Sean McVay’s staff during their sluggish Super Bowl hangover, where they were a bottom-five offense in many categories, including dead last in total yards (280.5). He also worked with the Rams from 2018–2019 as the assistant wide receivers coach and in 2020 as the assistant quarterbacks coach.

The 38-year-old is the third coach to surface on the Bears’ radar, joining Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and San Francisco 49ers passing game coordinator Clint Kubiak. All three coaches hail from the Sean McVay/Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, providing a glimpse into the type of offense the Bears are looking to run in 2024.