Liam Coen, Kentucky will 'pivot' to become best offense possible in 2023

The Kentucky football program has offensive problems to fix in 2023. Some tinkering could be required. Liam Coen and his offensive coaching staff must be flexible.

Last season under Rich Scangarello, things did not go well for the Wildcats. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach had a difficult time finding what worked well in the run game, was unable to protect his star quaterback, and had an offense that bogged down often in the red zone.

Things got bad for Kentucky on offense last season. However, the same things could be said for Liam Coen in his return to the Los Angeles Rams.

“First time in awhile in Los Angeles that we dealt with adversity. We dealt with a lot of injuries but — that’s not an excuse — how do we pivot? It’s not about the system. It’s about trying to have the system fit the players that we have,” Liam Coen told the media on Tuesday morning after Kentucky’s second spring practice. “That was something that we really had to search for last year at times. It wasn’t easy. It was the most challenging year in my career in coaching, but you learn so much throughout that. Everyday coming to work, putting your hat on, and going to work every single day and having the right energy. The right kind of focus and be there for these players.”

Players over plays. In college football, coaches have more control over what kind of players are on their roster but once the season begins there is no visiting the waiver wire. Therefore, flexibility and being able to tailor your offensive scheme to the talent on your steam is critical. Offensive coordinators must enhance their players’ strengths. What worked for Will Levis might not work for Devin Leary. What worked for Chris Rodriguez Jr. might not work for JuTahn McClain or Ray Davis.

“How can we pivot? Because maybe what we’re doing doesn’t fit the skill set of the guys that have to play or are playing. We’re not going to be the same offense that we were in 2021,” Coen said. “We can’t be. We want to be better than that. And we have a different personnel now.”

Kentucky’s success this season could fall on the coaching staff’s ability to adjust on the fly and build an offense around the current personnel on campus. Most notably, Kentucky must build a good plan for the offensive line and create situations where Leary can thrive as a passer.

Last year in the NFC West, Coen learned about roster flexibility as injuries forced the Rams staff to evaluate current players and available free agents on the fly. That learning experience should help him build a Kentucky offense that will look different in 2022.

“Just being able to pivot a little bit and really evaluate the current roster and personnel a little bit more frequently to be able to get the most out of these players,” Liam Coen said.