Report: Kentucky preparing to lose coordinator to the NFL

20200517_134556by:Justin Rudolph•02/16/22

Although we are in the middle of yet another exciting season for Kentucky basketball, there is breaking news involving their football program. Sources close to the program to ESPN Jeremy Fowler that the Kentucky is wary of losing offensive coordinator Liam Coen to this year’s Super Bowl winner the Los Angeles Rams.

“ Univ. of Kentucky preparing for ‘very real possibility it loses OC Liam Coen to #Rams, per source. Coen has turned down college jobs and a pro job to stay at UK, but chance to return to LAR, work with Sean McVay will be enticing. Still has to be offered job but is firmly in mix,” writes Fowler via Twitter.

This would be a quick turnaround at the offensive coordinator position for the Super Bowl champs; after losing Kevin O’Connell to the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings announced, shortly after the Rams 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, that they are hiring O’Connell as their next head coach.

Kentucky officially announces new offensive line coach

Kentucky officially announced the hire of San Francisco 49ers assistant offensive line coach Zach Yenser as the new offensive line coach, according to a press release. Yenser – a Fort Mitchell, Kentucky native – recently completed his third season with the 49ers and is now set to make the move to Lexington, as first reported by KSR nearly two weeks ago.

Prior to Yenser’s time in San Francisco, he spent the 2015-17 seasons as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach at Kansas. Yenser was also the offensive line coach at Cal from 2013-14 and worked in various roles at Louisiana Tech from 2010-12.

Yenser is set to replace Eric Wolford, who recently left Kentucky to become Alabama’s offensive line coach under head coach Nick Saban. Reports suggest that move caused some controversy in Lexington, burning bridges with some in the program.

Matt Jones of On3’s Kentucky Sports Radio explained that the offensive line coach caused some “frustration” inside of the Wildcats program.

Wofford switched sides fairly quickly and tried to bring at least one recruit along with him, according to the report. With a replacement now in place, Kentucky can refocus its offensive line and move toward the 2022 season.