The Latest on the UK Offensive Coordinator Search

Greetings to all on this cold Sunday night. I thought I would pop in and just give a small update on where things stand in the hunt for the next Offensive Coordinator at Kentucky. When the job became open last weekend, there was some question around the program of how much interest there would be in the position and what candidates would be available that could be an upgrade. Whether by timing (with most teams still playing and other job vacancies not yet happening) or by the improvement of the program, a source tells KSR that Kentucky was overwhelmed by the interest in the position and Mark Stoops has spent the better part of this week interviewing candidates, mostly in person.

The last of those interviews took place today. And at this point, the situation has become much clearer. According to various sources I have spoken with over the weekend, Stoops has four main candidates for the job, LA Rams QB Coach Liam Coen, Oregon Offensive Coordinator Joe Moorhead, Purdue Offensive Coordinator Brian Brohm and Missouri QB Coach Bush Hamdan. Each of the candidates bring something slightly different to the program and I would think Stoops has different reasons for liking each of them.

Moorhead has been an extremely successful OC in his career and had a ton of success at Penn State. His offensive attack would be a little more explosive than what we saw from Eddie Gran, but it includes a lot of the RPO stuff that has been successful here. Coen and Hamdan are both young up and comers, with innovative offenses and both are considered very bright. Coen has been under Sean McVay but is a rising star in the NFL and most believe he was headed towards being a NFL OC sooner, rather than later. Hamdan was the Offensive Coordinator at Washington under Chris Peterson and while he hasn’t called the plays at Missouri (the Head Coach does), he basically runs the offense in practice and is a dynamic offensive mind. And Brian Brohm has of course had success at Purdue and has an extensive set of ties in Kentucky and the region that would bring a great deal to the table.

My guess is that we get a selection within the next couple of days. If Moorhead were to want the job, I think it would be his to lose. I have had a number of sources tell me that he has expressed interest but the question of a move after one year in Oregon may make it too much to take. If he ends up not being interested or Stoops goes in another direction, then I would suggest Coen or Hamdan is the likely pick. All four however still remain viable options and while I would be surprised if Brohm was the final choice, the other three could easily end up the next UK Offensive Coordinator.

Looking into the candidates over the weekend and talking to folks who know all of them, I think all would be positive upgrades at the position. Any of these picks I think gets Kentucky in the direction they want to go offensively and each will provide a spark on an offense that needs one after a difficult year. The question is whether Stoops wants a known quantity like Moorhead, who is similar to his philosophy, or wants to try and go young and modern with Coen or Hamdan.

The next 48 hours will likely tell the tale.