Chicago Bears will interview Liam Coen for offensive coordinator position

After his first year at Kentucky, offensive coordinator Liam Coen was a surprise loss for the coaching staff in Lexington after Sean McVay gave his former assistant a shout once offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell left the Los Angeles Rams to become the Minnesota Vikings head coach.

History might be repeating itself two years later.

Shortly after the spring semester started at the University of Kentucky with the football program putting the final touches on its winter transfer portal haul, news has leaked out that Liam Coen is set to interview for another offensive coordinator position in the NFL.

CBS NFL insider Jonathan Jones is reporting that the Chicago Bears plan to interview the 38-year-old play-caller for their open offensive coordinator position.

The Bears plan to interview Kentucky offensive coordinator/QBs coach Liam Coen for their vacant OC position, source says. Coen was the OC for the Rams in 2022.

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 13, 2024

That spot could be an intriguing one. Head coach Matt Eberflus is entering a hot seat season in 2024, but the Bears own the No. 1 and No. 9 overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. General manager Ryan Poles has the chance to totally flip the roster in Chicago with a new quarterback. Coen could join the NFC North organization and potentially help the Bears decide if they want to keep Justin Fields or reset their clocks with Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.

The move would be risky, but the upside is obvious. For Kentucky, this would be a brutal development that would force Mark Stoops to make a fourth offensive coordinator hires in four consecutive offseasons.

That is no way to live.

In his second tour of duty at Kentucky, Liam Coen’s offense finished the 2023 season ranked No. 23 in red zone touchdown percentage, No. 40 in yards per play, and No. 51 in points per drive. All improvements from 2022. Efficiency was a significant issue for the offense, but Kentucky had knockout power in the explosive play department.

The play-caller played a major role on the recruiting trail helping the program sign Cutter Boley, Brock Vandagriff, Ja’Mori Maclin, and others this past recruiting cycle. Losing him after another one-and-done stint could be a significant step back for the program.

Stay locked in with KSR as we closely follow this latest coaching carousel development.