The Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed a new offensive coordinator this season after Dave Canales was hired to become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Liam Coen was hired for the job, and the Bucs are thriving in their first season under Coen.
Below we take a look at Coen’s coaching career.
Liam Coen’s Career
The majority of Coen’s time has actually been in the college ranks. A native of Warwick, R.I., Coen remained in-state to begin his career. He was the quarterbacks coach at Brown in 2010 and 2012-13, with a stop at Rhode Island for the 2011 season as the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.
His first offensive coordinator job came for Maine, which competes at the FCS level. He was the Black Bears’ coordinator for the 2016-17 seasons. Maine didn’t experience much success in those seasons, going 10-11.
Nevertheless, Coen earned a position on Sean McVay’s coaching staff with the Los Angeles Rams, reversing course after initially accepting an offer to be Holy Cross’ offensive coordinator. His first stint with the Rams lasted three seasons, as he was the assistant wide receivers coach from 2018-19 and the assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020.
Coen alternated between Kentucky (2021, 2023) and the Rams (2022) for the next three seasons, serving as the offensive coordinator each year. Coen coached Will Levis during his first season at Kentucky in 2021. Levis threw 24 touchdowns that season as the Wildcats went 10-3, one win shy of the single-season program record.
Unfortunately, Coen was the Rams offensive coordinator the year after their Super Bowl championship, in which the team was ravaged by injuries. As a result, Los Angeles finished 28th in scoring offense en route to a disappointing 5-12 season.
Nevertheless, Coen made his way back to the NFL ranks this season, where his second stint as an NFL offensive coordinator has gone much smoother. Through Week 6, the Buccaneers ranked eighth in scoring offense, having posted a franchise-record 594 yards in their Week 6 win over the New Orleans Saints.
#Bucs offense under OC Liam Coen:
– 594 yards on Sunday (franchise record).
– 172 rushing yards in the 4th quarter (franchise record) without Rachaad White.
– Tied for most points scored in the NFL this season (178).
– Baker Mayfield leads the NFL in TD passes (15).
– 51 points… pic.twitter.com/bdM0u1KlCF— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 14, 2024
It’s a little early to speculate about the 38-year-old Coen being a head coaching candidate, especially given his underwhelming results at his previous stops. Still, if Baker Mayfield continues his career resurgence, it’s only a matter of time before Coen reaches the highest ranks of coaching.