Kentucky's Liam Coen among "college football coaches to watch" in 2021

The Athletic named 43 college football coaches to keep a close eye on in 2021, and Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen made the cut.

“With a lot of intriguing possible opportunities out there, here’s our tip sheet of the coaches you should keep a close eye on this year as their stock figures to soar,” college football analyst Bruce Feldman said.

One of 30 assistant coaches on the list, Coen came in at No. 19 overall, just one of four SEC assistants included. The outlet compared Kentucky’s new play-caller to Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady and said he could be a “fast riser” in the coaching ranks.

19. Liam Coen, Kentucky, OC

His profile reminds some of Joe Brady’s: relatively unknown NFL assistant (Coen comes from Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams staff) to SEC coordinator looking to boost what has been a listless passing game. Coen actually has a lot more play-calling experience than Brady did. If Will Levis blossoms in Lexington, Coen will be a fast riser with a lot of marketability.

Mark Stoops praised Coen’s experience in the NFL and how detail-oriented he was during the interview process.

“Bringing people from the NFL has worked for me before and I really liked how detailed he was,” Stoops said after the hiring. “Obviously had a great handle. The biggest areas that need the most improvement are quarterbacks and receivers and he has expertise in both of those areas, and worked with both groups in the NFL, and that was very attractive to me.”

Stoops added that Sean McVay’s offense is “quarterback friendly” and “creative in getting receivers open.”

“If you watch them, they see the way they attack you,” Stoops said. “… It’s very balanced I would say, but also creative in attacking people down the field and scoring points.”

You can read Feldman’s complete list over at The Athletic here. Go Cats.