Mark Stoops says Liam Coen has 'complete autonomy' as Kentucky offensive coordinator

Who is actually in charge of the Kentucky offense? It’s a question that has lingered for almost all 11 seasons of the Mark Stoops era. It became an even more prominent talking point this offseason when Liam Coen’s name was connected to other offensive coordinator vacancies.

Only one FBS program ran fewer plays per game than Kentucky last fall. Many attributed that to Stoops’ preference for a conservative, plodding style of play that does not add extra stress to the defense. How much blame for the lack of snaps falls on the head coach or coordinator?

Many point back to an SEC Inside video from 2018. In the middle of a cold, rainy, windy game against Vanderbilt, the game was tied in the fourth quarter. The video continued to cut to Stoops as he instructed Eddie Gran to feed Benny Snell. It worked like a charm and the Kentucky running back marched the team down the field for a 14-7 win.

Does Stoops have a firm grasp on the offense, or is this the Liam Coen show? While discussing the addition of Eric Wolford with Maggie Davis on BBN Tonight, the head coach shared that he works with his coordinators to make all assistant hires. That gave him an opening to include this:

“I know people want to act like we’re not, but Liam and I are 100 percent on the same page at all times. Liam has complete autonomy here. I think that’s what he likes about that,” said the Kentucky head coach.

“There’s no ‘Mark Stoops taking off the gas,’ and Liam likes that. If you’re a competitive person, if you’re a good coordinator, you want full control and Liam has full control of the offense, full autonomy, and when we’re doing personnel moves like this and talking with staff, I’d never do something like this without consulting with him too.”

As Coen was under consideration for jobs in Chicago and Columbus, how much control he had over the offense was a point of contention. Mark Stoops is publicly making it clear that he’s given the young play-caller his blessing to do whatever he needs to do to ensure the offense succeeds in 2024.

Want more coverage of the Cats? Join the KSR Club.

KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. With the transfer portal opening and the coaching carousel spinning, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Just $1 gets you one month of access. Come join the club.