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Liam Coen officially named next offensive coordinator of Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Liam Coen was officially introduced as the next offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday.
The former Kentucky assistant will bounce back to the NFL after spending the 2023 season in Lexington. Coen was also the Kentucky offensive coordinator in 2021 before jumping to the NFL to coach the Los Angeles Rams. He returned for this most recent season, helping Kentucky’s offense rebound from a down 2022 season.
“We are thrilled to welcome Liam Coen as our new offensive coordinator,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said in a statement. “Throughout the selection process, Liam stood out for his innovative offensive mind, exceptional coaching skills, and the remarkable impact he’s had at every level of his career. We believe his vision and approach to the game will be a tremendous asset to our team, and we look forward to the energy and expertise he brings to our coaching staff.”
Welcome to Tampa Bay, coach!
We’ve agreed to terms with Liam Coen for offensive coordinator. pic.twitter.com/EZmrTjG9fs
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 3, 2024
Coen’s first stint with the Wildcats was a successful one. Kentucky won 10 games while Will Levis and Wan’Dale Robinson piloted an exciting offensive attack. He left after the season to join Sean McVay with the Rams, but made his way back a year later.
“I definitely didn’t expect this to be happening a year ago when we decided to come (to L.A.),” Coen told Saturday Down South’s Connor O’Gara of the move. “But at the end of the day, we missed Lexington. We missed college football. The recruiting and all the stuff that NFL coaches don’t really want to get back involved with — trust me, it’s a little crazy right now anyways — I missed the relationships. I missed the impact we could potentially have on 18- to 22-year-old kids’ lives.”
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In Coen’s absence in 2022, Kentucky slipped from 35th to 112th in scoring and from 21st to 101st in per-play efficiency. This season, the Cats jumped back up to 58th and 40th, respectively.
Now, coach Mark Stoops is tasked with replacing Coen once again. Following a second consecutive 7-6 campaign, he needs to get this hire right.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
