Friday Headlines: Liam Coen a Top-5 OC in CFB Edition

How excited are you that Coen is back in Lexington?

By John Morgan Francis@MonJorgan Aug 18, 2023, 6:40am EDT

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It’s no secret that Kentucky football has been resurrected over the last decade, in large part to head coach Mark Stoops. But it’s also no secret that having key pieces such as Vince Marrow, Brad White and others in place has helped fuel that success. Another key piece that Kentucky has enjoyed having is Liam Coen.

Though Coen was with Kentucky for just one year before returning to the NFL, he’s now back in Lexington for a second stint with the Wildcats. His presence as offensive coordinator was severely missed last season, as Kentucky saw second-year quarterback Will Levis struggle in Rich Scangarello’s offensive scheme despite having veteran running back Chris Rodriguez and a variety of highly-skilled weapons on offense.

With transfer QB Devin Leary, other transfers at key offensive positions and a second year for Kentucky’s young stars, Coen has an opportunity to really make his presence felt once again as offensive coordinator. In fact, ESPN CFB analyst Greg McElroy believes Coen is a top-5 offensive coordinator in the country.

McElroy had this to say about Coen on the Paul Finebaum Show.

“He’s truly a player’s coach. I think he’s someone that understands what it’s like to play the position. He’s played the position. Coming from the Rams, he’s seen it operate at the highest level being around guys like Jared Goff, Matt Stafford. It’s really cool for me, being an aspiring quarterback, wanting to learn from the best, and every, single day he challenges us quarterbacks to be the very best, bring your A-game every single day, represent yourself like a pro, and just someone that I love to learn and develop under. His offense is one of the best to be able to learn from and develop as a quarterback and I just wanted to learn under him.”

Kentucky has a few new faces on offense — including Coen — but is primed for another shot at a double-digit win season.