Liam Coen discusses transition back into college football

Liam Coen spent a year away from Kentucky on vacation in LA, and now he’s having to earn back the trust of his team.

Coen, UK’s new offensive coordinator for the second time in three seasons, is treating this like his first time in Lexington. He’s starting on a clean slate with every player, including the returning ones that previously played under him in 2021.

“Earning their trust back — I left them,” Coen said. “It’s on me in a lot of ways to earn their trust and build that back up — not that they’re holding it over my head. But that’s just how I feel. I feel it’s my job to get back in there with them so they know that I’m not going anywhere.”

Coen says his offensive group is responding well despite being away from him — and his playbook — for an entire season. Most of Kentucky’s offensive production this season will be produced by QB Devin Leary and WR’s Dane Key and Barion Brown, all of which have no experience in Coen’s system.

Kentucky succeeded under Coen’s guide in 2021, leading them to a 10-win season that culminated in UK winning the Citrus Bowl over Iowa. He left to take the OC job for the then-Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams — a no-brainer decision at the time. It didn’t work out in LA, and Coen was welcomed back to Lexington with open arms by both the program and fanbase alike.

Now that he’s back, he’s noticing some of his offensive unit utilizing the football facilities more often in the hopes that it pays off on the practice field.

“It’s great,” Coen said about his player’s enthusiasm. “These guys are up here all the time in the meeting rooms, in the film room. We’ll probably have six or seven guys that’ll come in, the quarterbacks, wideouts and tight ends and hang out around the offices. Typically, that’s a good sign. If the kids want to be here, if they want to be in the offices with the coaches.

“I mean, they have a lot of other people to hang out with. They choose to be around there … It’s a good sign that we’re building it the right way.”

Since Kentucky isn’t hosting a spring game this season, fans won’t get to see Kentucky’s new-look offense under Coen until the season kicks off on Sept. 2 against Ball State. UK’s first real test, on paper, won’t come until Week 5 when the Wildcats host the Florida Gators on Sept. 30.