Kentucky Offensive Coordinator Hot Board: 6 candidates to replace Liam Coen
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Kentucky has been here before. Mark Stoops has to now start working the phones, calling agents, asking Jimmy Sexton for assistance, and discovering what some contacts in the industry know because Kentucky needs a new offensive coordinator. Liam Coen’s efforts to get out of Lexington after another one-and-done stint succeeded on Friday. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are working on finalizing a contract with the 38-year-old member of the Sean McVay coaching tree to become their next offensive coordinator and play-caller.
Where does Kentucky go next? We have put together a list of six potential offensive coordinator targets. After another unfortunate ending with an NFL assistant, it seems likely that Stoops and the Kentucky program could weigh college — and specifically power conference experience — in this search. It’s important to remember that there is only one job opening on the Kentucky coaching staff, and that offensive coordinator needs to have experience working with quarterback. That would take someone like Ohio State assistant Brian Hartline off the list.
Enough of the small talk. Let’s get to the names.
Buster Faulkner (Georgia Tech offensive coordinator)
Kentucky and Georgia have always had a ton of similarities. This offseason, the program added transfer Brock Vandagriff to be QB1. Why not keep leaning into that Kirby Smart tree?
Buster Faulkner spent three seasons in Athens (2020-22) as a quality control assistant under offensive coordinator Todd Monken before taking the play-calling gig at Georgia Tech. In his first year at the ACC program, Faulkner led the Jackets to their best offensive finish (No. 27 in yards per play, No. 46 in points per drive, and No. 54 in success rate) since quitting the option. And he did it with former blue-chip Haynes King at quarterback.
Georgia Tech was a pistol offense with a zone-heavy run attack but did play with some heavy personnel and included the QB in the run game plan. That should be attractive for Mark Stoops. The 42-year-old is making $750,000 at Georgia Tech. Kentucky could easily offer a better deal with a sizable pay bump.
Gino Guidugli (Notre Dame QB coach)
The Ft. Thomas (Ky.) Highlands and Cincinnati Bearcats great Gino Guidugli is entering year two as Marcus Freeman‘s quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame. Guidguli worked closely with Sam Hartman under offensive coordinator Gerad Parker last season and now will work with Riley Leonard under new offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. Guidugli was also Desmond Ridder‘s position coach at Cincinnati.
The 40-year-old Northern Kentucky native has some experience working with big-time college quarterbacks and has spent the last seven seasons working under defensive head coaches Luke Fickell and Freeman.
Guidugli’s only year as a play-caller was in 2022 at Cincinnati, and things did not go great for the Bearcats. Fickell’s final team at UC finished No. 60 in yards per play, No. 70 in points per drive, and No. 93 in success rate. Guidugli had contact with Kentucky last year when there was an open gig.
The Kentucky native could become a candidate again.
Bush Hamdan (Boise State offensive coordinator)
Bush Hamdan spent four seasons (2015-16, 2018-19) working under Chris Petersen at Washington. Hamdan logged one year in the NFL (2017) with the Atlanta Falcons under offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. The Boise State alum then was on the staff at Missouri under Eliah Drinkwitz for three seasons (2020-22) before returning to his alma mater to call plays for Boise State in 2023. Things went well for Hamdan(No. 15 in yards per play, No. 17 in points per drive, and No. 33 in success rate) in the Mountain West.
Hamdan has extensive offensive coordinator and SEC experience on top of experience working with both quarterbacks and wide receivers. The Boise State offensive coordinator has a strong resume at age 37 and was a finalist for Kentucky in a previous search for Mark Stoops.
After what was likely his best year as a play-caller, do not be surprised if his name pops up for Kentucky.
Dana Holgorsen
Mark Stoops has made two hires from the Dana Holgorsen coaching tree (Shannon Dawson and Daikiel Shorts Jr.) during his Kentucky tenure. The former West Virginia and Houston head coach is now a free agent.
Does Stoops decide to make it a third hire?
I do not have to tell you about Holgorsen’s track record, but he comes from the Air Raid tree, has produced a ton of good college quarterbacks, and has had a ton of good offenses. This is a long shot, but there is something that Stoops does appear to like about how Holgorsen ran a program.
Kevin Johns
Kevin Johns was Mike Elko’s offensive coordinator at Duke, but the new Texas A&M head coach did not bring him to College Station. Johns was a finalist for the Iowa offensive coordinator position that went to Tim Lester. The 48-year-old Ohio native is the most notable coordinator free agent.
Johns worked under Kevin Wilson at Indiana from 2011-16. Why is that important? Wilson spent nine seasons working for Bob Stoops at Oklahoma. Johns also spent time with Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech and has been a play-caller since 2019 at Memphis and Duke.
Johns’ first four offenses all scored over 30 points per game, but the Blue Devils came short of that number following an injury to star quarterback Riley Leonard. The play-caller has experience coaching wide receivers and quarterbacks and produced two separate 3,000-yard passers at Memphis.
Do not be surprised if Johns enters the mix.
Joe Moorhead (Akron head coach)
Things are not going well for Joe Moorhead at Akron. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman recently mentioned that the former Penn State and Oregon offensive coordinator could find a landing spot in the NFL at offensive coordinator.
That has not arrived. Kentucky could offer the 50-year-old a landing spot back in the SEC.
Moorhead has established a reputation as one of the best RPO play-callers in football and has produced four offenses that averaged north of 31 points per game in his four years as a coordinator. The Akron head coach involves the QB in the run game plan and has produced five 1,000-yard rushers in six seasons in a power conference.
Mark Stoops interviewed Moorhead after the 2020 season, and we could see him become a target for Kentucky again. The Mississippi State tenure did not go great, but Moorhead has proven to be one of the best offensive coordinators in college football.
A.J. Milwee (Texas QB coach)
The 38-year-old Alabama alum is entering year four at Texas and got a lot of credit in the Arch Manning recruitment. A.J. Milwee is seen as one of the top offensive assistants on Steve Sarkisian’s staff and has future Power Five head coach written all over him.
Is he ready for a chance to run his own offense?
Milwee was a quality control assistant at Alabama with Mike Stoops for two years (2019-20). Is that a big enough connection to begin a conversation?
Milwee will likely move away from the Sark tree at some point in the near future. Is now the time?
Targets off the board
Tim Cramsey (Memphis offensive coordinator)
Power conference experience is likely going to play a big role in this search and that takes Cramsey, 48, off the list. However, the former Marshall offensive coordinator (2018-2021) had an outstanding season in year two at Memphis. The Tigers won 10 games, averaged 39.4 points, ranked No. 10 in points per drive, and No. 15 in yards per play. Cramsey will get a big gig soon.
Brian Hartline (Ohio State WR coach)
Kentucky’s new hire has to have experience coaching quarterbacks. If Kentucky does not hire a quarterback coach, another staffing move must be made. Brian Hartline makes some sense for Kentucky, but this currently does not line up for the Wildcats or Hartline.
Will Stein (Oregon offensive coordinator)
Perhaps the most popular name in this upcoming search is currently off my board. Will Stein, 34, played quarterback at Louisville but is from a Kentucky family with some strong ties to the football program in Lexington. Stein worked under Charlie Strong as a grad assistant and quality control assistant at Louisville and Texas. Stein has been an offensive coordinator for two years and has had units post strong numbers at UTSA and Oregon. Quarterbacks Frank Harris and Bo Nix thrived in his scheme. Stein is a future head coach that I doubt Oregon, Dan Lanning, and Phil Knight will let leave Eugene after just one year.
