Dowell Loggains emerges as prominent name in Kentucky offensive coordinator search

On Tuesday, KSR reported that current New York Jets quarterback Rob Calabrese was a candidate for the open offensive coordinator position. On Thursday, KSR has discovered the man that Calabrese replaced in New York is also a candidate.

Current Arkansas tight ends coach Dowell Loggains is being reported as a serious target for the open play-calling position at Kentucky, according to KSR’s Matt Jones.

Hearing Arkansas TE Coach Dowell Loggains has emerged as one of the serious candidates for the UK Offensive Coordinator position

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) February 24, 2022

Who is Dowell Loggains? Let’s find out.

Extensive NFL background

In 2008, Dowell Loggains got his coaching start at 27 years old when the Texas native was hired by Jeff Fisher to work as a quality control assistant for the Tennessee Titans. After two years in that role, Loggains was promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2010. In 2012, new Titans head coach Mike Munchak made Loggains an NFL offensive coordinator at 31 years old.

After two years of calling plays, Loggains took a job with the Cleveland Browns in 2014 where he worked under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan for one season. After that year, the coach move to the Chicago Bears to coach quarterbacks in 2015 under offensive coordinator Adam Gase.

After Gase left to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2016, Loggains got his second crack at calling plays serving as the offensive coordinator in Chicago from 2016-17 under head coach John Fox. From there, Loggains would rejoin Gase in Miami and would then follow the head coach to the New York Jets in 2019.

The well-traveled NFL assistant spent 13 seasons in the pros, and seven of those years were spent as an offensive coordinator with multiple years coaching quarterbacks.

After the Jets organization went away from Gase, Loggains moved to the SEC and spent the 2021 season at Arkansas. While working under Sam Pittman and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, Loggains played a part in a breakthrough season for the Hogs that ended with an Outback Bowl win and top 25 finish. In that one year, Loggains recorded four recruiting wins for the Razorbacks.

Another McVay/Shanahan connection

Liam Coen was fresh off the Sean McVay tree when Kentucky hired the offensive coordinator last year. Zach Yenser was fresh off the Kyle Shanahan tree when Kentucky hired the offensive line coach following the departure of Eric Wolford.

Dowell Loggains has direct work experience with Shanahan from their one year spent with the Cleveland Browns.

That year of experience will likely be important for Mark Stoops as Kentucky appears set to keep the same offensive philosophy in Lexington. Except this coaching potential hire is someone that has much more on the resume from a work experience standpoint to go with SEC familiarity.

It’s starting to sound like the coaching search is winding down. Kentucky should have a new offensive coordinator very soon.