LEXINGTON, Ky. – Liam Coen has been named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Kentucky, head coach Mark Stoops announced Tuesday. Coen replaces Eddie Gran, who was fired at the end of the regular season.

Coen spent the past three years with the Los Angeles Rams – 2018 and 2019 as the assistant wide receivers coach before being named assistant quarterbacks coach before the 2020 season.

The Rams are currently tied for the 2020 NFC West division lead with three games to play and are led by Pro Bowl quarterback Jared Goff. Coen works with Goff, who is one of the best passers in the league, having completed 324-of-475 passing attempts for 3,509 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.

“I am very impressed with Liam’s depth of knowledge and detail of coaching he has obtained as an NFL and college coach,” Stoops said. “He will bring an exciting style of football, attacking all areas of the field, a style that will be exciting for players to play and for fans to watch.”

Coen said he looks forward to his new position. 

“It is an honor to be named offensive coordinator for the University of Kentucky,” he said. “I want to thank coach Stoops for this incredible opportunity. I couldn’t be more excited to be joining the Big Blue Nation and can’t wait to get to Lexington and get to work.”

University of Kentucky Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen. (Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Rams)

In 2019, Coen helped L.A.’s receiving unit produce two receivers with more than 1,000 receiving yards for the second-consecutive season, a feat that had not been accomplished since a streak of four seasons from 1999-2002. Rams wide receiver Robert Woods posted his second-consecutive 1,000-yard season, finishing with 1,134 and wide receiver Cooper Kupp tallied his first 1,000-yard season, leading the team with 1,161 receiving yards.

With the help of Coen, who coached in the Super Bowl his first year in the league, the Rams quickly acclimated 2018 offseason acquisition Brandin Cooks into the league’s No. 3 scoring offense. Cooks (1,204) and Woods (1,219) posted career-highs in receiving yards in 2019 while becoming the first Rams receiving duo to surpass 1,000 yards each since Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce in 2006.

“Liam is a great communicator, coach, and leader of men,” said Sean McVay, Rams head coach. “He will do great in leading the way for what will be a fun and exciting offense that will accentuate the players’ skill sets.” 

Coen spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Maine, where he was the signal-caller and was instrumental in quarterback Dan Collins’ emergence in 2016, as well as the growth of freshman quarterback Chris Ferguson in 2017. Collins signed with the Buffalo Bills and eventually played for Ottawa in the Canadian Football League. 

Under Coen in 2017, the Black Bears had the fourth-best scoring offense in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), which was spearheaded by running back Josh Mack, who led the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in rush yards per game. Mack rushed for 1,335 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 133.5 rushing yards per game. As a unit, the Black Bears averaged 24.6 points and 388.4 total yards per game during the 2017 season, after putting up 22.3 points and 357.6 total yards per contest in 2016.

Before his time at Maine, Coen spent 2014 and 2015 as the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts. He mentored First-Team All-Mid-American Conference quarterback Blake Frohnapfel, who signed NFL contracts with the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts.

He also served as quarterbacks coach at Brown University in 2010, 2012, and 2013, and as the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Rhode Island in 2011. During the 2010 season at Brown, Coen’s assistance on offense helped lead the Bears to the Ivy League’s top passing game, averaging 244.3 yards. His quarterback, Kyle Newhall-Caballero, eventually signed with the Oakland Raiders. In 2011 at Rhode Island, his first- and second-string quarterbacks both ranked in the top-10 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in total offense.

Coen is a native of Newport, Rhode Island, and his father, Tim, was a coach in college and high school. As a senior in high school, Coen was named Gatorade Player of the Year and was an All-State selection as a quarterback at La Salle Academy in Providence. He went on to an illustrious career at UMass as a four-year starter at quarterback from 2005-08. He set nearly every career UMass passing record, including most yards gained (11,031), highest passing efficiency (152.92), completion percentage (63.9), completions (830), and touchdowns (90).

In 2006 and 2007, Coen led the Minutemen to conference championships and guided UMass to an FCS national runner-up finish in 2006. During his career, he was honored with the Harry Agganis/Harold Zimman Award as the Outstanding Senior in New England Football. A two-time Walter Payton Award candidate, he earned All-CAA Second-Team honors in 2008.

Coen, 35, earned his bachelor's degree in communications from UMass in 2008.

Following his time at UMass, Coen played quarterback with the Alabama Vipers of the Arena Football League in 2009.