What Kentucky's Offense could look like with Liam Coen calling plays

After searching for more than a week, Mark Stoops selected 35-year-old Liam Coen as Kentucky’s next offensive coordinator.

The Rams assistant quarterbacks coach was chosen over Purdue co-offensive coordinator Brian Brohm, Missouri wide receivers coach Bush Hamdan and former Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead. Each candidate brought various pros and cons to the table. By selecting Coen, Stoops is searching for the lightning LSU found in a bottle when it hired an NFL assistant quarterbacks coach, Joe Brady, that transformed its offense into a National Championship-winning juggernaut.

By now you probably know Coen’s rap-sheet. After studying the Rams’ offense for the last three years and examining Maine’s offensive production under his two-year tutelage, we can paint a picture of what UK’s offense may look like with Coen calling plays in 2021.

 Balanced

“We want an offense that’s balanced. That’s what I envision,” Stoops said hours after reliving Eddie Gran and Darin Hinshaw of their duties at Kentucky. It’s what made Moorhead a candidate and likely eliminated Brohm from contention.

This year the Rams have a run-pass ratio of 55-45, scoring 18 touchdowns through the air and 19 on the ground. Their top two receivers have almost an identical number of targets and receptions, while their three top running backs are only separated by roughly ten carries apiece. It doesn’t get much more balanced than that.

Play-Action

Kentucky turned into one of the best rushing teams in the SEC with Gran calling the shots. How the previous regime  failed to effectively use that run to set up the play-action pass is an unsolved mystery. That will not be the case under Coen.

Play-action is a staple of the Rams’ offense, using the run fake just long enough to freeze the defense and throw over the top. Even before Coen joined the Rams’ staff three years ago, he utilized it effectively at Maine thanks to Josh Mack. The running back led the FCS in rushing yards with 1,335 and nine touchdowns for the Black Bears in 2017.

Maine, 2017 under Coen pic.twitter.com/16CcFWFt5N

— Justin Rowland (@RowlandRIVALS) December 15, 2020

11 Personnel

Unless Coen shifts his stance at UK, Kentucky’s quarterbacks will take snaps under center to run that play-action pass, often times completing passes to the single tight end. The Rams consistently operate out of 11 personnel, a football term meaning ‘one running back and one tight end on the field’ (and also the name of an excellent KSR football podcast). This means tight end play will be prioritized in the running and the passing game at UK, a necessity with multiple talented options returning, including the pass-catcher with arguably the most upside, Keaton Upshaw.

Pre-Snap Motion

The Rams like to try to get the defense thinking with flashy pre-snap lures. It’s an easy way to create confusion and get wide receivers open. It was effective in the first half against Florida, by like the absence of the play-action pass, its absence throughout the season remains a mystery.

Recruiting?

There’s absolutely no way you can forecast what Coen brings to the table from a recruiting standpoint. Like the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator, Brad White, Coen is a Rhode Islander, not exactly a state laden with talent on the gridiron. Nevertheless, White has put UK in the mix for talented four-star prospects in the DMV area, yet he still has not reeled in a big fish. Expectations are low, but if he can get someone from New Jersey like Josh Allen, mission accomplished.

Assistant Coaches?

By hiring a young, innovative offensive mind, Kentucky will need to balance the scales by finding experienced assistants to ensure Coen’s success. Replacing Gran in the running backs room and John Schlarman on the offensive line will not be easy. The name uttered most often around town for the vacancy in trenches fits the bill, Eric Wolford, a Bill Snyder Kansas State product who most recently served on South Carolina’s coaching staff. Filling in the final pieces of the offensive puzzle should not be overlooked.

Run the Damn Ball

Mark Stoops was motivated to make the move offensively because of Kentucky’s struggles in the passing game. But make no mistake, Coen will still pound the rock in Lexington, albeit relying more heavily with outside zone schemes. Beau Allen and Joey Gatewood’s futures are bright under Coen’s leadership, but that doesn’t mean UK is going to abandon Chris Rodriguez, a guy who averaged 6.9 yards per carry in 2020, the highest mark in the SEC.

Coen will innovate Kentucky’s passing offense while still prioritizing the run game. The Wildcats’ offense will look different in 2021, yet he does not have to reinvent the wheel.