Mark Stoops made a tough personal decision when he decided it was time for Kentucky to move on from offensive coordinator Eddie Gran and quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw immediately following the Wildcats’ 4-6 season, but based on recent results for the team’s offense, it was time for the program to go in a new direction.
Now, following a coaching search that lasted just over a week, we know the coach that is poised to reshape the program’s offense starting in 2021.
A source tells SDS that Stoops has made the decision to hire Los Angeles Rams assistant quarterbacks coach Liam Coen to serve as Kentucky’s next offensive coordinator. Football Scoop was the first to report the news.
Coen has served on Sean McVay’s LA Rams staff for three seasons. Before serving as the Rams’ assistant quarterbacks coach, Coen coached the team’s assistant receivers for two seasons.
Considering the issues Kentucky has had developing quarterbacks and receivers in recent seasons, Coen’s hire could be just the move needed to get the offense rolling again in Lexington.
During the 2019 season, the Rams had two 1,000-yard receivers (Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods). That accomplishment had not been done by the Rams dating back to the 2002 season. During the 2018 season, Coen was a member of the LA staff that led the Rams to an appearance in the Super Bowl.
Before joining the Rams’ coaching staff, Coen was the offensive coordinator at the University of Maine for two seasons and the passing game coordinator at UMass for one season. Coen also served as the QB coach at Brown University and the University of Rhode Island.
Coen is a graduate of UMass, where he was a starting quarterback for four seasons. During his playing career, UMass made an appearance in the 2006 FCS National Championship game and rewrote many of the school’s passing records.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
