Was Liam Coen the key to offensive success, or all-time great Kentucky players?

Kentucky fans are furious following the latest departure from Liam Coen. A quote from his last introductory press conference went viral. “I want to plant some roots,” he said on Jan. 12, 2023. “I’m not in a rush to go anywhere.”

He was welcomed home as the prodigal son, the savior of the Kentucky offense. After all, he was the mastermind behind the most efficient and highest-scoring offense of the Mark Stoops era. The Wildcats’ success in 2021 cemented the McVay disciple’s status as a rising star in the coaching ranks, but should he get all of the credit?

Kentucky had a Loaded Roster in 2021

In the first marquee win of the 10-win campaign, Kentucky knocked off Florida by scoring 14 offensive points. One of those touchdowns was an outstanding individual effort by Wan’Dale Robinson, taking a screen pass and knifing through the defense 41 yards to the end zone.

Robinson continually made outstanding individual plays that won games for the Wildcats. On his final drive in a Kentucky uniform, the Frankfort native caught four passes for 86 yards, including a 52-yard gain that set up the game-winning touchdown. With that reception, Robinson broke Craig Yeast’s single-season receiving yards record.

Wan’Dale wasn’t the only record-breaker on that team. Chris Rodriguez rushed for 1,379 yards, the fifth-greatest rushing season in school history. He concluded his career ranked No. 3 on the school’s all-time rushing list.

Rodriguez ran behind an offensive line that featured Darian Kinnard, the school’s first consensus All-American at offensive tackle since 1965. Luke Fortner was the center. He’s started in every single game of his two-year NFL career. Mark Stoops infamously said, “Anyone could’ve coached that line,” following Eric Wolford’s initial departure.

Speaking of NFL players, have you seen what Will Levis has done as the starter for the Tennessee Titans? The second pick of the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft is pretty good at football.

What else has Coen done as an offensive coordinator?

Was Liam Coen a brilliant offensive architect or simply in the right place at the right time? We can find the correct answer by looking at the results of his other two seasons as an offensive coordinator.

In 2022 the Rams ranked last in the NFL in total offense and finished 5-12. It’s not great, but it’s also not fair to pass judgment from a season in which the Rams lost their starting quarterback and All-Pro wide receiver to injury.

In 2023 Coen returned to Kentucky and fans expected more fireworks. There were plenty of explosive plays and the Cats scored more points than the year prior, but they were woefully inconsistent. Kentucky had one of the most inefficient rushing attacks in college football, the Wildcats had the most inaccurate quarterback in the SEC, and the offense turned the ball over more than any other team in the league. Kentucky lost games where they only scored 13, 14, and 21 points (twice).

Devin Leary was the fall guy. During games, announcers discussed his inability to grasp the offense, rather than the coach’s inability to adapt to his skill-set. It produced one of the slowest offenses in college football, ranking No. 131 out of 134 teams in snaps per game.

Xs and Os or Jimmys and Joes?

Liam Coen was in the right place at the right time when he arrived in Lexington in 2021. He deserves credit for bringing Will Levis to Kentucky, something that would not have happened if Coen wasn’t the guy wearing the headset. That might also be true for Wan’Dale, but Vince Marrow had the homecoming teed up as soon as Stoops found a replacement for Eddie Gran.

Coen rode with Devin Leary in 2023 and it did not work. The Big Blue Nation was hoping to see him get a do-over with a different quarterback in 2024. Give Coen credit, his offense attracted talented quarterbacks and top-flight receivers to Kentucky. If the next offensive coordinator can keep those players in place for the upcoming season, Kentucky can still light up scoreboards across the SEC without the traveling man from the Northeast on the headset.

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