Rich Scangarello 'really fits' what Kentucky wants to do on offense in SEC

Expectations are sky-high for new offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello. Kentucky has many pieces returning, and a great year appears attainable in 2022.

Will Levis is returning at quarterback and is getting some legit first-round buzz. Chris Rodriguez Jr. has a chance to set the program rushing record. Tayvion Robinson is bringing 100-plus receptions to the offense from his time at Virginia Tech. The Big Blue Wall has a good shot at putting together a good unit thanks to proven interior players. Tight end Keaton Upshaw is returning from injury.

Liam Coen left the program after just one season and is now the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. Rich Scangarello was the San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach. Both NFL staffers are branches of the Sean McVay/Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. So far, the fit seems to be obvious, but Scangarello will bring some wrinkles to the program.

“I thought Mark [Stoops] did a really good job replacing Liam with Rich,” Vince Marrow told KSR’s Matt Jones on Friday. “You know who Rich kind of reminds me of? A combination of Eddie Gran with the way we ran the ball and then now with play-action and how we throw the ball with Liam. This dude really fits what we do in this league. We gonna run the ball, play-action, and take shots down field.”

Under Gran, Kentucky saw Benny Snell Jr. set the program rushing record as the Wildcats morphed into a run-heavy offense. In 2016, the Wildcats finished No. 20 in rush yards per game (234.1) and followed that up with a No. 4 finish in 2019 (278.8) as Kentucky went to a full-time wildcat offense. A strong year on the ground followed in 2020, but Stoops decided to make a change due to the passing game falling so far behind. The head coach wanted to keep an effective rushing game but add a scheme that could effectively scheme up the passing attack and use play-action to create chunk plays.

Stoops landed on the wide zone offense that both McVay and Shanahan have made popular in the NFL. Rich Scangarello spent four seasons working directly under Shanahan and has experience as a big-time coordinator calling plays for the Denver Broncos in 2019. The new hire checks some boxes for Kentucky football and some wrinkles that the new play-caller is bringing in the run game — fullback, more wide zone, pre-snap motions — could allow the Wildcats to have immediate success in 2022.

“He’s been in this offense for a long time,” said Marrow.