Kentucky linebacker reacts to Liam Coen news, sends message to Big Blue Nation

With the announcement that Kentucky offensive coordinator is heading back to the Los Angeles Rams after one season in Lexington, one of the Wildcats’ top stars in DeAndre Square let Big Blue Nation know that Kentucky will be just fine without the coach that took their offense to new heights in just one year.

“Congratulations to [Liam Coen] the Rams doubled back on a good one.. as far as #BBN we good it’s only up from here,” Square wrote on Twitter. Square, a veteran defensive player, saw how much of a difference Coen made to the Kentucky offense in just one season having to square up against his offensive scheme everyday in practice compared to the one former OC Eddie Gran ran.

According to KSR’s Matt Jones, Coen informed the football team before the announcement was made and there seems to be no bad blood between the two parties.

“Coen met with the UK Offense on Thursday night and told them if the Rams offered he would take it I think the players understand and are happy for him,” Jones said on Twitter. “I have also been told the major players expect the next OC to be of a similar mold and all are still secure in Lexington.”

Despite Kentucky losing the top-ranking coach on the offensive side of the ball, the Wildcats appear — at least for now — to be holding onto the rest of their offensive assistants. Now, the job for head coach Mark Stoops is to replace Coen, and folks within Kentucky’s program are expecting a “similar mold” at offensive coordinator.

Coen, who was named Kentucky’s offensive coordinator in December of 2020, spent just one season calling the plays for Kentucky in 2021 before his departure. Unsurprisingly, it was McVay who hired him back, given that Coen served on the Rams staff prior to his arrival in Lexington.

He spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams before he took over Kentucky’s offense. He spent 2018 and 2019 as the assistant wide receivers coach, and in 2020, he was named the assistant quarterbacks coach. In his time as wide receivers coach, Coen helped the Rams produce two receivers with over 1,000 receiving yards for two straight seasons, mentoring the likes of Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks.

Kentucky’s offense averaged 425.15 yards per game under Coen, the eighth-best tally in the SEC, as the Wildcats relied heavily on a well-balanced attack. Kentucky threw for 225.62 yards per contest, while rushing for 199.54 yards per game, the latter of which was the fifth-best total in the SEC. Overall, Kentucky, averaged 32.31 points per game under Coen, which was fifth-best in the SEC.