What we know about Liam Coen, the Chicago Bears and Ohio State Buckeyes

The Kentucky football offseason took a dramatic turn over the weekend. Hours after Gerald Mincey announced his commitment to Kentucky, a significant addition to the Cats’ offensive line, we learned Liam Coen could be on the move.

Kentucky’s offensive coordinator is a candidate for the same position at two very different institutions, the Chicago Bears and the Ohio State Buckeyes. It was not the long ago, less than 53 weeks to be precise, that Mark Stoops welcomed Coen back to Lexington after he spent a year with the Los Angeles Rams.

“I’m not in a rush to go anywhere,” he said at his re-introductory press conference on Jan. 12. “I want to go try to make an impact and be around somewhere for a little while.”

What has changed in that year? We can’t exactly pinpoint that at the moment but we can tell you where things stand currently with each vacancy.

Chicago Bears

PROS

— Return to the NFL to actually call plays, something he did not do while working for Sean McVay.
— The Bears appear to be moving in the right direction, winners in four of their last six games.
— Chicago holds the No. 1 overall pick, which could be USC’s Caleb Williams.

CONS

— The Chicago offense is perpetually one of the worst in the NFL, regardless of circumstance.
— Matt Eberflus barely survived this season, almost certainly putting the coach on the hot seat next year.
— The decision of keeping Justin Fields or drafting a QB will define the next OC’s regime.

It’s clear the Chicago Bears have a type in this coaching search. They want someone from the Sean McVay/Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. In addition to Coen, Chicago is interviewing the 49ers passing game specialist, Klint Kubiak, and Shane Waldron. The latter was the “mystery NFL coach” we originally thought Kentucky was pursuing when they hired Coen in 2021. Waldron did make a move that year to Seattle where he revitalized Geno Smith’s career.

Coen appears to be third in the pecking order. However, the crowded NFL coaching carousel may force other actors to make surprising moves, but at the moment Chicago feels like an unlikely destination for the Kentucky offensive coordinator.

Ohio State Buckeyes

PROS

— ‘Ohio State offensive play-caller’ is one of the best jobs in college football.
— Emeka Egbuka and TreVeyon Henderson return, and they welcome Quinshon Judkins to Columbus.
— Jim Harbaugh is likely heading to the NFL, making life much easier for everyone at Ohio State.

CONS

— Like Eberflus, Ryan Day could be on his last season. All it takes is one more loss to Michigan.
— If “control of the offense” was an issue in Lexington, do we really think Ryan Day is giving up all control in Columbus?
— It felt like Will Howard became their choice at QB in the transfer portal because they didn’t have any options they liked more once Kyle McCord made a surprising departure.

Unlike the Chicago Bears’ opening, we don’t know much about what’s happening at Ohio State. Ryan Day was been calling plays for the Buckeyes since Urban Meyer was the head coach. This decision to relinquish those duties to someone else is still baffling.

Nevertheless, Coen is really only the second name that’s been shared in this coaching search. There have been reports that Day was looking at “NFL guys,” but the only other legitimate candidate that’s emerged is Jason Candle.

The Toledo head coach is poised for a move up the coaching ladder. He’s led the Rockets for nine seasons and compiled a 65-35 record, including an 11-3 campaign last fall to earn MAC Coach of the Year honors. The offensive-minded coach has patiently waited for an opportunity to move up, and teaming up with his pal Ryan Day makes sense.

So, is Coen going to leave Kentucky?

It feels like the Ohio State job is the greater threat to pull Liam Coen away from Lexington. The move would not be as risky for Coen and he appears to have less competition for the job. However, that position has Jason Candle written all over it. There’s only one thing that could throw a wrench into this situation. Arizona needs a new head coach and Jason Candle is on every hot board for the vacancy.

It would be foolish to make any guarantees on Monday morning. When handicapping this situation it feels more likely than not that Coen will remain in Lexington for at least a little longer. Even if that does happen, this eventful Kentucky offseason is just getting started.

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