Well, that’s something. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that the Saints had Kentucky Wildcats offensive coordinator Liam Coen “in the mix” for the same job on their staff, though they did not ultimately offer him a contract. Instead, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports, Coen has an opportunity for a return to the Los Angeles Rams as their new offensive coordinator. He’s worked with Sean McVay before as quarterbacks coach.
Coen put himself on the college football map last season by spearheading Kentucky’s 10-3 run, designing an offense with wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and running back Christopher Rodriguez Jr. leading the way — they each racked up more than 1,400 yards from scrimmage and scored a combined 20 touchdowns. That’s exactly the sort of tandem production you’d hope he could implement with Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara, which helps explain the Saints’ interest in him.
But that’s not going to happen now that the team has decided to settle with Pete Carmichael as offensive coordinator. Carmichael has split time calling plays with Sean Payton throughout his 12-year tenure as offensive coordinator, and now he’s got a shot to do it all himself. And that raises its own questions. We know he can call an effective game plan, but how much responsibility has he had in designing plays and marshalling position coaches?
Those are all concerns the Saints had to have been asking during interviews, but they won’t get real answers for until the season starts. Even if he’s only done it at the college level, at least Coen could say that he did have that proven experience. Unfortunately, he’s not in New Orleans’ plans now. And there’s a real possibility he ends up joining an NFC rival who just won the Super Bowl.
Liam Coen is in the mix to return to the Rams as Kevin O’Connell’s replacement on Sean McVay’s staff
After losing Kevin O’Connell to the Minnesota Vikings, the Los Angeles Rams once again need a new offensive coordinator. One coach who could replace O’Connell on Sean McVay’s staff is Liam Coen.
Coen is Kentucky’s offensive coordinator and was previously the Rams’ assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Kentucky is preparing for the “very real possibility” that it will lose Coen to the Rams.
Fowler didn’t specify for what role, but Coen is a candidate for the Rams’ offensive coordinator opening. Ian Rapoport reported that Coen and Greg Olson are two possibilities for the OC vacancy now.
Univ. of Kentucky preparing for ‘very real possibility it loses OC Liam Coen to #Rams, per source. Coen has turned down college jobs and a pro job to stay at UK, but chance to return to LAR, work with Sean McVay will be enticing. Still has to be offered job but is firmly in mix
Coen helped turn Kentucky’s offense around this past season, as the Wildcats ranked 19th in the nation in yards per play. They went 10-3, too, after finishing 5-6 the year prior.
Mark Stoops discusses Kentucky’s offensive coordinator hiring process, researching Liam Coen and others.
Ninth-year head coach Mark Stoops hired Liam Coen as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Kentucky ahead of the 2021 season.
Coen was hired at Kentucky following a three-year stint as the Los Angeles Rams’ assistant wide receivers (2018-19) and assistant quarterbacks (2020) coach in the NFL.
Coen served as Maine’s offensive coordinator from 2016-17 before his time in the NFL. He served as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UMass (2014-15), quarterbacks coach at Brown (2012-13), passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Rhode Island (2011) and overseeing Brown’s quarterbacks in 2010.
Coen played quarterback at UMass from 2004-08 as a four-year starter.
Stoops discussed the hiring process of Coen on the SEC teleconference Wednesday.
“It was all important, quite a bit of research, not only on Liam, but on a lot of people,” Stoops said. “Obviously, it was a very important for our program, the future of our program and me being a defensive guy.
“Quite a bit of research went into it, as far back as I could get to on him and many others. It was with that background. and with the research, and also with my face-to-face meetings with him, we had conversations on the phone and things of that nature.”
A look inside Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s background and moving up the coaching ranks from Maine.
Tennessee (4-4, 2-3 SEC) will play at Kentucky (6-2, 4-2 SEC) Saturday in Week 10.
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. EDT and will be televised by ESPN2.
Liam Coen is in his first season as Kentucky’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Coen was hired at Kentucky following a three-year stint as the Los Angeles Rams’ assistant wide receivers (2018-19) and assistant quarterbacks (2020) coach in the NFL.
Coen served as Maine’s offensive coordinator from 2016-17 before his time in the NFL.
At Maine, the Black Bears ran an offensive system that comes from the coaching tree of Ohio State head coach Ryan Day. Those principles and concepts are still used in Coen’s offense in the Southeastern Conference.
Nick Charlton is in his third season as Maine’s head coach. He coached alongside Coen from 2016-17, serving as the Black Bears’ wide receivers and special teams coach.
Charlton coached alongside Day from 2013-14 as a graduate assistant at Boston College. The current Ohio State head coach was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach alongside Charlton.
Day’s program operation, offensive scheme and concepts are seen in Maine’s program, as well as at Kentucky in 2021.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Ryan Day’s operation, offensive concepts
Day stresses organization throughout his offensive scheme, while building a team identity through player-personnel each year.
Going into spring practices, Day starts from scratch with his offense based on adapting to his roster.
At this time, he identifies who the best players are and utilizes them. This process is also referred to as his Bucket organization. During the offseason, he wants his player-personnel to go through base plays at minimum 100 times in preparation for the season.
His offense features a tight zone where the running back is ready to follow the center going downhill. In a tight zone, there can be up to six different variations. Raider is reading the backside defensive end. Cowboy is blocking the C-gap with a tight end. Buccaneer takes place by reading a defensive end when the tight end blocks a B-gap overhang.
Midzone is where the running back aims for the inside of the guard, providing a wide play. Day’s offense features up to six variations of midzone blocking. This is typically executed based on matchups with the opponent each week.
Outside zone is also schemed to get the ball on the field-side.
All three zones have different landmarks, but with the same identifications.
In gap zone, Day stresses a power scheme in which a guard pulls and blocks downhill. A counter scheme is also present in a gap zone.
Day’s base offense also showcases a perimeter running game with plays such as a speed sweep.
Short plays are a base concept in Day’s offense, allowing for the quarterback to get the ball out his hands in the quick game. Day stresses for an 80 percent completion percentage in the short game. Slants and hitches are executed a lot. Short plays are also consistent of the quarterback being able to get out of the pocket with naked or bootleg ability. RPO and screen plays fall under short plays, as well.
Mediums are routes that showcase five-step, high-low execution, such as outside triangles attacking the flat and a cornerback. Mirror routes provide one-on-one matchups on the outside with out-routes, comebacks and go-routes.
Crossers are used a lot when Ohio State plays a man coverage defense. Mesh plays are also seen occasionally throughout Day’s offense.
Isolation plays are when the X-receiver and the H-back are trying to become open or are in one-on-one matchups to have the ball in their hands. Floods and four verticals are used a lot, too.
Down-the-field passing attempts are also featured, and a priority in Day’s offense. Day’s importance of having a strong, physical running game can allow for the opposition to have a run fit close within the box and he will then attack downfield in the passing game.
As Charlton took over for Coen as offensive coordinator in 2018 and as head coach from 2019-21, the offensive scheme and concepts have remained the same.
Pat Denecke is in his sixth season on Maine’s coaching staff. He served as Maine’s tight ends coach when Coen was coordinating the Black Bears’ offense, while Charlton oversaw wide receivers. Charlton has since elevated Denecke to assistant head coach, run game coordinator and offensive line coach.
“I don’t think any of us were surprised to see him take a big step when he left Maine,” Denecke said of Coen on the show “Football Two-A-Days.” “Very intelligent coach, very enthusiastic coach, really enjoyed being around him for the two seasons we were together.
“The base of the offense is still the same. It is still within the same system, obviously it evolves year to year based on your personnel, but a lot of the terminology has stayed the same. A lot of the scheme has stayed the same. Formationally and personnel-wise we have grown a little, but more motion and things of that nature, but I would say the nuts and bolts of our offense are pretty much still intact from when Liam was here.”
Maine Offensive coordinator Liam Coen passes to players before an NCAA college football game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field against Maine, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, in East Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Denecke further discussed Charlton and Maine studying Day and Ohio State to continue to evolve offensively.
“We spend a lot of time studying what they are doing on offense, as well as the Rams when Coach Coen was there,” Denecke said. “Because there are some familiarity, you can usually figure out what they are trying to do knowing the system and you can definitely see where Nick cut his teeth as a coach learning under Coach Day. Very similar in terms of trying to be creative, but still finding different ways to execute the same things by week and finding different ways to attack the weaknesses of the defense based on the strengths of the offense.
“We had a few mesh concepts, but I wouldn’t say anything derived from the Air Raid system.The majority of our offense derives from a West Coast or prostyle and has kind of evolved into 11 and 12-personnel, we’re under center a good bit, but I wouldn’t call us a true prostyle. We’re not using a fullback or anything like that. We call ourselves a hybrid. We’re not quite spread, we’re not quite pro, but we have some prostyle systems within a spread offense.”
Max Staver played quarterback at Maine under Coen and for Charlton and Denecke.
Staver also discussed his time with Coen at Maine before leaving for the NFL.
“He really knew what he was doing,” Staver said of Coen on “Football Two-A-Days.” “His offense was really diverse and what we were trying to accomplish, the threat of the run, the vertical pass game, mixed with some spread concepts, the usage of tempo. He definitely knew what he was doing. I think everybody had the understanding that Coach Coen would eventually move on from Maine.”
The entire shows with Denecke and Staver can be listened to below. Charlton also joined the show “Football Two-A-Days” in 2020 and discussed Maine football and his time with Day and Coen.
Sean McVay is losing another member of his coaching staff with Liam Coen departing for Kentucky.
Sean McVay is only 34 years old, but his coaching tree has branches that spread to all levels of football. He’s already seen former assistants and coordinators such as Zac Taylor and Matt LaFleur go onto head coaching gigs, and now another coach from his staff is leaving.
According to reports, Kentucky plans to hire Rams assistant QBs coach Liam Coen as their new offensive coordinator and QBs coach. The news was all but confirmed by Rams COO Kevin Demoff, who’s happy to see Coen get the opportunity to head to Kentucky.
Coen is currently in his third year with the Rams, but this is his first as the assistant quarterbacks coach after spending two seasons as the assistant wide receivers coach. This year, he’s worked alongside Kevin O’Connell to help develop Jared Goff, John Wolford and Bryce Perkins.
McVay credited Coen and O’Connell for the job they’ve done with Goff this year, improving his mechanics and footwork in the pocket.
“I would say, he’s just playing really well,” McVay said back in October. “He’s seeing the field and I can’t say enough about just the way guys are playing around him, but then I’d also continue to give a lot of credit to Kevin and Liam and the work they do with that quarterback room.”
Coen won’t be the last coach to leave McVay’s staff, either. With the job Brandon Staley has done this year, he could be the next to earn a promotion elsewhere in the offseason.
