Buccaneers hire Kentucky’s Liam Coen as offensive coordinator

Field Level Media|published: Sat 3rd February, 15:51 2024

May 23, 2022; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen during organized team activities at California Lutheran University. credits: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the hiring of the University of Kentucky's Liam Coen as their new offensive coordinator Saturday.

Coen, 38, spent 2023 as the Wildcats offensive coordinator after previously serving in that role with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 and Kentucky in 2021.

Prior to that, he worked under Sean McVay in Los Angeles as an assistant wide receivers coach (2018-19) and assistant quarterbacks coach (2020).

His experience working in McVay's system was something the Buccaneers cited to ESPN as being an important factor in their search to replace departing Dave Canales, who was hired as head coach of the Carolina Panthers on Jan. 25.

Canales brought a version of McVay's offense to Tampa in 2023, which was refined under Shane Waldron in Seattle. Waldron's Seahawks offense came about after Waldron spent four seasons coaching with McVay.

Coen brings another form of continuity to the Bucs. His starting quarterback during part of the 2022 NFL season in Los Angeles was Baker Mayfield, a pending free agent who is coming off a resurgent season with the Buccaneers in 2023.

Those 2022 Rams struggled to move the ball, finishing 27th in the league in scoring (18.1 points per game) and last in total offense (280.5 yards per game).

Kentucky went 7-6 in 2023, averaging 29.1 points and 339.5 yards per game. The Wildcats lost 38-35 to Clemson in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 29.

Coen was a record-setting quarterback at UMass, where his roommate and favorite target was former Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, before starting his coaching career in the college ranks at Brown, Rhode Island, Maine and his alma mater.

—Field Level Media