Liam Coen set to return to Kentucky after Chicago Bears make offensive coordinator hire

The latest threat to Kentucky football retaining offensive coordinator Liam Coen appears to have passed.

Coen, who just completed the first season of his second stint as UK offensive coordinator, interviewed for the Chicago Bears’ open offensive coordinator position this month. However, the Bears are reportedly working to hire former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron for that position, according to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero. Coen had also been mentioned as a candidate for the Ohio State offensive coordinator position that went to Bill O’Brien.

Those decisions mean, at least for now, UK coach Mark Stoops is not faced with hiring a new offensive coordinator for the fourth consecutive offseason.

Coen first came to UK in 2021 as an assistant with the Los Angeles Rams. After teaming with quarterback Will Levis, wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, running back Chris Rodriguez and an offensive line that featured multiple NFL draft picks to help UK to its second 10-win season since 1977, Coen returned to the NFL as the Rams offensive coordinator. That decision did not go according to plan for either party as the Rams struggled mightily in their defense of a Super Bowl title and Kentucky’s offense floundered under the leadership of Rich Scangarello, who Stoops had hired from the NFL to replace Coen.

Stoops fired Scangarello after just one season as offensive coordinator and convinced Coen to return to Lexington.

After accepting UK’s offensive coordinator job for the second time, Coen told reporters he hoped to “plant some roots” by staying in a job for “a few years at least.” While Coen did not rule out one day returning to the NFL, he said the chance to work with younger players still early in their careers made a college job attractive to him.

Coen’s return and the addition of top transfer quarterback Devin Leary was supposed to lead to a revitalization of the Kentucky offense, but the unit failed to live up to its preseason hype in 2023..

Instead of building on the Wildcats’ 2021 success, many of the offensive issues that plagued the brief Scangarello era carried over to 2023. UK did average 8.4 more points per game than the year before but still ranked 100th nationally in yards per game (339.5). Kentucky ranked last nationally in total offensive plays.

This time, Kentucky’s transfer quarterback did not pan out as Leary battled inconsistency and appeared to struggle to run Coen’s pro-style scheme at times. UK’s much-hyped sophomore receivers Barion Brown and Dane Key failed to make the jump many had projected for their second college season.

After a 7-5 regular season, Kentucky fired wide receivers coach Scott Woodward, a close friend and former college teammate of Coen’s who had followed Coen to Lexington during for his first stint at UK in 2021. A Gator Bowl loss to Clemson ended up being a fitting encapsulation of the regular season.

There were moments of excitement for the offense, but three fourth quarter turnovers on Kentucky’s own side of the field sparked a Clemson comeback. Even after Kentucky appeared to overcome those miscues with a go-ahead touchdown with 2:39 remaining, UK’s defense faltered, allowing Clemson to march down the field for the game-winning score.

Despite the 2023 struggles, Coen and company have already found success in the transfer portal in the quest to rebuild the offense.

Former five-star recruit and Georgia backup quarterback Brock Vandagriff enrolled at UK in January as the likely starter for next season. UK also added possible 2024 starters at running back (Chip Trayanum, Ohio State), wide receiver (Ja’Mori Maclin, North Texas) and right tackle (Gerald Mincey, Tennessee) from the transfer portal. Coen was also instrumental in recruiting four-star LCA quarterback Cutter Boley, who enrolled at UK this month.

A Coen departure would lead to questions about whether Kentucky could retain those transfers, who could have immediately reentered the portal since they had already graduated. UK’s younger offensive playmakers are not able to enter the transfer portal until the spring window opens in April.

Coen’s UK contract will pay him $1.8 million in 2024. He was the 12th-highest paid assistant coach at a public university last season, according to a USA Today database. If he leaves UK this offseason, Coen would owe UK a $500,000 buyout.

Now the question becomes whether Coen will receive interest for any other offensive coordinator openings as the NFL coaching carousel moves on. Coen was open about his desire to call plays again when he returned to UK — Rams head coach Sean McVay called plays while Coen was coordinator in 2022 — so he probably would only consider leaving for a job that allowed him that freedom. It is worth noting multiple former McVay assistants who Coen worked with in Los Angeles are candidates for NFL head coach openings at the moment.

The most likely outcome is Coen is back at Kentucky in 2024 though.

Proving the offensive struggles of 2023 were a fluke after the offseason personnel moves would likely reestablish Coen as a top candidate to lead his own college program in the future or return to the NFL.

For colleges worried about losing their football coach, a former UK president had advice

The high point of UK football’s 2023 season has lost some luster in Mark Stoops’ eyes

Why Tim Couch might never have turned into a UK football legend in transfer portal era

How spring practice will help determine what’s next for UK football’s transfer portal class

The 12-team playoff era is coming. What would UK have to do to make the field in 2024?