The Big Blue Nation is Officially on Liam Coen Watch

As the clock struck zero on the Cincinnati Bengals’ Cinderella run with a Rams victory in Super Bowl LVI, attention across the BBN immediately went to Liam Coen. It’s uncertain how many key pieces will be back on the field next fall for Los Angeles. But we do know Sean McVay must fill multiple vacancies on his coaching staff and the Kentucky offensive coordinator is a prime candidate.

Prior to kickoff at SoFi Stadium, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported outgoing offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell is expected to bring the Rams’ tight end coach with him to Minnesota. Another defensive assistant is also departing for Denver. When sharing potential replacements for O’Connell, Liam Coen’s name was the first mentioned by Schefter.

But the Rams have reinforcements on their mind. Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who already has worked as the Rams’ quarterbacks coach under Sean McVay, is a prime candidate to succeed O’Connell, per league sources.

Considering the source, it sounds like Coen is McVay’s top priority after his former assistant spent one season in Lexington. Social media sleuths also may have read the tea leaves and seen Coen was one of the only assistants that did not Tweet out UK’s 2022 Super Bowl ad. He also did not appear in the goofy Valentine’s Day video UK shared Monday morning.

Not a bad way to spend a Sunday…Thank you and Congratulations to my @RamsNFL family! pic.twitter.com/Eew1tvKzvZ

— Liam Coen (@LiamCoen) January 24, 2022

Promote from Within

Coen is not McVay’s only option in Los Angeles. During his five-year tenure, plenty of assistants have departed for promotions. O’Connell is the fourth Rams’ coordinator to leave for a head coaching gig. McVay typically keeps his next hires close by promoting from within. Schefter echoed that sentiment, sharing that running backs coach Thomas Brown is also in line for the job. Greg Olson, the Rams’ QB coach in 2017, is also most likely returning to LA after four seasons with the Raiders, either as the offensive coordinator or the quarterbacks coach. The Big Blue Nation must bank on either of these two to keep Coen at Kentucky for one more year.

Retirement for McVay?

An interesting wrinkle entered the equation Friday afternoon. Multiple ESPN reporters contributed to a story questioning McVay’s future in L.A. Even though he is only 36, the young coach is searching for the right family/football balance. That balance could come in the form of retiring early to become a television analyst, mirroring a move made by his mentor, Jon Gruden.

McVay is currently on contract through 2023. L.A. pushed its chips all in, mortgaging its future by trading seemingly all of their future first round picks to acquire players like Jalen Ramsey and Matt Stafford. Even though he just won a Super Bowl, now might be the perfect time for McVay to jump ship before it sinks to the bottom of the NFL.

Irresistible Offer for Coen

Even if McVay has one foot out the door, Coen can’t turn down the opportunity to be the offensive coordinator for the defending Super Bowl Champs. That job title might as well be “NFL head coach in waiting.” We should learn this week if Mark Stoops must embark on an offensive coordinator coaching search. Regardless of what happens, Coen’s contributions to the Kentucky football program cannot be exaggerated. The Wildcats’ offense is in a significantly better place now than it was a year ago.