Why Did Rams Coach Liam Coen Leave College For L.A.?

Los Angeles Rams fans won't have to look far for their new offensive coordinator. They'll know the next man taking over for Kevin O'Connell since he's already built a connection with Sean McVay.

Liam Coen wasn't going to leave Kentucky for any job. It had to be the right offer and right team for the 36-year-old Wildcats' offensive coordinator to departed Lexington after one season.

According to Coen, the Rams were the only team he would consider joining, having served on McVay's staff as the assistant wide receivers and quarterbacks coach from 2018-20.

“I’m really excited about going back and learning,” Coen said in a recent interview with The Athletic's Jeff Howe. “You don’t just learn from Sean. You learn from every single coach in the building. At any given moment, you can walk into an office and learn something. I’m really excited to go back and learn.”

Coen had chances to leave L.A. in years past. A native of Rhode Island, he was offered the offensive coordinator position at Boston College but elected to learn under McVay for two more years.

When the SEC called, that was enough for Coen to leave sunny California for Kentucky. In one season, he became one of the hottest coordinators in college football and a rising star in the sport.

Working with former Penn State quarterback Will Levis and former Nebraska receiver Wan'Dale Robinson, Coen introduced the McVay coaching style to the collegiate ranks. Last season, the Wildcats ranked 21st in offensive yards per play and 39th in pass efficiency. They also averaged 32.3 points per game — third-most in program history.

Kentucky improved in ways that not even Mark Stoops would have imagined. Just three seasons removed from its first 10-win season since 1997, the Wildcats would finish 10-3 and second in the SEC East.

For his work, Coen became a front-runner for the opening of offensive coordinator on Miami's staff under Mario Cristobal. He turned them down to remain in Lexington and also turned down a chance to interview for the New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator opening.

But McVay knew which button to push. It was an easy choice for Coen to head back to where it all began. They would meet following O'Connell's departure for the Minnesota Vikings. One conversation later, he agreed to principal terms to come back west.

“We see things very similarly in a lot of ways in terms of the game of football and how we believe it should be played, some of those philosophical similarities,” Coen told Howe of McVay and his offense.

Los Angeles isn't going away in terms of contending status offensively. The Rams still feature quarterback, Matthew Stafford, running back Cam Akers, receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods and tight end Tyler Higbee. The offensive line will return just two of its five starters from the Super Bowl roster, but a top-tier defense with coordinator Raheem Morris remaining on staff.

Coen's role will be a mix of what he did in the Wildcats and with the Rams. He'll hold the title of coordinator, but won't be the primary play-caller as McVay has held that title since being named head coach in 2017.

The formula has worked in McVay's favor. The Rams have had five consecutive winning seasons under the wunderkind coach — four of which have ended in double-digit victories.

Coen might have left for another opportunity, but he never forgot McVay. That will play an integral role in helping Mcvay run the offense back to the Super Bowl in 2022 and beyond.

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