Report: Chicago Bears to interview Kentucky's Liam Coen for offensive coordinator position

A return to the NFL could reportedly be in the cards for Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen. He is set to interview with the Chicago Bears to replace Luke Getsy, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reported.

Coen returned to Kentucky this past season after spending 2022 with the Los Angeles Rams. That marked his second stint with the Rams after serving as an assistant with the franchise from 2018-20. He then headed for his first go-round as Kentucky offensive coordinator in 2021, where he turned Will Levis into one of the top quarterback prospects entering the 2022 NFL Draft.

Following a year back in Los Angeles, Coen returned to Lexington in 2023. Kentucky had an up-and-down season, averaging 339.5 yards per game — which ranked 11th in the SEC — and 29.1 points to finish eighth in the conference.

During Coen’s lone season as the Rams’ offensive coordinator, Los Angeles struggled as it came off a Super Bowl victory. The team ranked 27th in the NFL in scoring offense, averaging just 18.1 points per game while rotating through a few quarterbacks after a Matthew Stafford injury. That came after an impressive 2021 season at Kentucky in which the Wildcats averaged 32.3 points and 424.1 total yards of offense per game.

More on the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator search

Chicago overhauled its offensive coaching staff earlier this week, opting to move on from Getsy and multiple other assistants while retaining head coach Matt Eberflus. The Bears had an up-and-down season en route to a 7-10 record, ranking 18th in the league in scoring while ranking No. 2 in rushing offense.

The passing game had some question marks, though, as Justin Fields threw for just 2,562 yards in 13 starts. He missed four games due to a thumb injury.

Liam Coen is one of three reported candidates for the Bears’ offensive coordinator position. Seattle Seahawks OC Shane Waldron was one of the first coaches to reportedly land an interview. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that news hours after the team moved on from head coach Pete Carroll. Thursday night, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Chicago was also planning to interview San Francisco 49ers passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak, as well.

The Bears are also in a unique position this year, holding the No. 1 overall pick for the second consecutive draft. That’s a result of last year’s trade with the Carolina Panthers, who are sending the pick to Chicago after finishing just 2-15.

While the offensive coordinator will be a big question to answer, the more pressing issue might be what to do with that top pick. The Bears could trade Fields to take a quarterback — Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, perhaps — or trade the pick and get more weapons for Fields.