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Liam Coen

2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 28th, 2023 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.

This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired

Rams Will Not Block Assistant Coach Moves; Frank Reich On OC Radar

January 10th, 2023 at 3:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sean McVay has not confirmed he will return for a seventh season with the Rams, keeping the team in suspense. As the Rams wait on an answer, they will not stand in the way of any assistant who has an opportunity with another team.

The Rams will not block any assistant from leaving, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. While teams can no longer block position coaches from coordinator interviews, they can impede lateral moves. The Rams will not do so, adding more uncertainty as McVay determines his path.

Los Angeles has already lost multiple assistants, including offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who officially rejoined the University of Kentucky on Tuesday. Coen, who is now a two-time Rams and two-time Wildcats assistant, agreed to again become the SEC team’s OC weeks ago. Coen was the Rams’ third OC under McVay, following Kevin O’Connell and Matt LaFleur. The Rams went without an OC from 2018-19, following LaFleur’s move to the Titans. McVay’s presence minimizes the role of the Rams’ OC, but the team is eyeing an experienced play-caller for the position.

The Rams have shown some interest in ex-Colts HC Frank Reich for the job, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets. Thomas Brown and Zac Robinson are internal candidates for the gig, per Rodrigue, though filling Coen’s post will obviously need to wait on McVay’s call. Arizona State had Brown on the radar for its HC job, and the Vikings interviewed him for their OC job last year. But the Rams’ tight ends coach remains in place. Robinson is the Rams’ passing-game coordinator; he has been with the team since 2019.

It would represent a major step down, role-wise, for Reich to join the Rams (assuming McVay stays). The five-year Colts coach said he wanted to be a head coach again, hopefully as soon as 2023, and teams have him on their radar. The Panthers are expected to interview Reich. Any coordinator overtures, which should emerge from other teams besides the Rams, will presumably need to wait on Reich’s latest HC carousel ride.

Reich, 61, would obviously provide the Rams with a wealth of experience, but it would be unusual for the longtime play-caller to accept a non-play-calling OC role. Reich did hold such a position in Philadelphia, however, with Doug Pederson calling the Eagles’ plays during Reich’s two-year stay on his staff. In Indianapolis, Reich called plays throughout his tenure. Prior to going to Philly, Reich served as the Chargers’ OC — also under an offense-oriented head coach, Mike McCoy — for two seasons.

Rams OC Liam Coen To Return To Kentucky

December 15th, 2022 at 12:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 15: Coen is on track to return to Kentucky, but it is not believed the Rams will need to find an interim OC to finish out the season. Coen has not yet finalized a deal with the SEC program, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes, and is expected to close out the season with the Rams. While Coen has spent four of the past five seasons with the Rams, he appears ticketed to leave the NFL level for a stretch.

DECEMBER 9: Although Sean McVay assistants have vaulted to HC positions at the NFL level, the sixth-year Rams coach will need to find a new right-hand man on offense for 2023. Liam Coen is heading back to Kentucky to take over the position he held in 2021.

Coen will be a one-and-done as a Rams OC, with Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com reporting he will move to the same position at Kentucky (Twitter link). A former Rams position coach, Coen had come back to Los Angeles to replace Kevin O’Connell this past offseason.

The Wildcats recently fired OC Rich Scangarello, who had previously served as an NFL quarterbacks coach and the Broncos’ OC. Scangarello trekked to the college level after six years as an NFL assistant, twice as a Kyle Shanahan staffer in San Francisco. Brian Griese replaced Scangarello as 49ers quarterbacks coach. Coen will now reassume the reins at Kentucky.

Coen, 37, is far from a college lifer. He spent three years on McVay’s staff before initially trekking to Kentucky in 2021. Coen’s first L.A.-to-Lexington move represented a responsibility bump, considering he was working under McVay and O’Connell as assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020. This latest jump may look like a lateral move, but Coen — like O’Connell, Matt LaFleur and Zac Taylor — did not call plays with the Rams. McVay has held that responsibility since arriving from Washington, becoming one of this era’s top offensive gurus.

McVay’s status helped O’Connell, LaFleur, Taylor and even the defensively oriented Brandon Staley to HC jobs, but Coen will take a different route. The Wildcats are coming off a regression offensively. Despite employing first-round quarterback prospect Will Levis, the 2022 Wildcats ranked 106th in scoring offense. Levis broke through under Coen in 2021, and Kentucky ranked 36th in scoring (32.3 points per game). Mark Stoops’ team went 10-3 that season; it is 7-5 this year.

The Rams also took a step back offensively this season, though injuries played a significant role in the defending Super Bowl champions cratering on this side of the ball. L.A.’s offense ranked in the top 10 in total offense and points last season; it sits 29th and 31st, respectively, after 13 games. The team has been without Matthew Stafford at points, and McVay admitted the recently extended quarterback’s offseason elbow injury affected him during the season. Cooper Kupp and much of the Rams’ offensive line have also missed extensive time. Coen did play a key role in helping Baker Mayfield somehow go from Tuesday waiver claim to leading a comeback victory over the Raiders on Thursday night. Still, the Rams are set to finish outside the top 11 in total offense for the first time in McVay’s tenure.

Coen will not have the opportunity to work with Levis for a second time. The high-profile prospect is passing on a potential extra year of college, via the NCAA’s decision to provide an additional eligibility year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to enter the draft. Coen will also follow offensive assistant Jake Peetz in leaving the Rams for a college gig. Peetz, who joined McVay’s staff this year, is joining Matt Rhule at Nebraska.

Panthers’ Post-Rhule Fallout: Termination, Replacement, Trades

October 10th, 2022 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL news circuit was set ablaze today when news broke of the firings of Panthers head coach Matt Rhule and defensive coordinator Phil Snow. The termination of Rhule was not necessarily a surprise, as he’s been firmly on the hot seat all year and the possibility of firing Rhule had been discussed “well before” today, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, but it did create a newsworthy fallout of information that is of interest to those who follow the sport.

Many have talked about the contract implications of Rhule’s termination, alluding to the millions of dollars still remaining on his contract. While it’s completely applicable to Rhule’s situation, it doesn’t sound like it is a concern to Carolina. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweeted out that “Carolina is on the hook for this season, but the salaries for the ensuing seasons are offset by what his future college job pays him.” Essentially, Rhule will absolutely get his guaranteed money, but the onus won’t be on Carolina to pay it. Whenever Rhule, who is presumed to be a top college coaching candidate for next year, gets another job, his salary from the new school will offset the amount the Panthers owe him.

It was also announced that Panthers defensive passing game coordinator & secondary coach Steve Wilks will sub in as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The defensive-minded former head coach of the Cardinals has apparently already begun to make the team his own. When Panthers owner David Tepper was asked why Snow was fired, he reportedly pointed the finger at Wilks, telling reporters to direct that question to the interim head coach, according to ESPN’s David Newton.

Here are a few more fallout items from today, starting with some ideas on Rhule’s replacement:

  • The biggest nugget to come out of today concerning Carolina is that, as most NFL executives expected Rhule to lose his job, many in league circles are expecting the Panthers to start dealing veteran assets in an attempt to accrue draft capital that might make the head coaching position more attractive, according to Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post. The Panthers currently only hold four draft picks for 2023: first-, second-, fourth-, and fifth-round picks, supporting the idea that trading away veterans could improve their current situation. Trading away veterans with expensive contracts, such as star running back Christian McCaffrey or wide receiver Robbie Anderson, could prove troublesome, according to La Canfora, so the Panthers are reportedly willing to eat some of those salaries in order to facilitate moving those assets. Early reports claimed that the Bills have reached out about McCaffrey and that they did in the offseason, as well, according to Person, but Tom Pelissero of NFL Network clarified that, while every team will be calling about McCaffrey, the Panthers haven’t engaged in any trade talks yet. In addition to McCaffrey and Anderson, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports expects wide receiver D.J. Moore, defensive end Brian Burns, and defensive tackle Derrick Brown to be on the table.
  • Jeff Howe of The Athletic posed the question today of who might replace Rhule and offered quite a few suggestions. Howe started the list with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn who took the Falcons to the Super Bowl as head coach in 2016. Next, he mentioned 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. Ryans interviewed for the Vikings’ job this offseason and was expected to interview for the Raiders’, as well. The 38-year-old has rocketed up coaching boards since retiring as a player in 2015. Another name mentioned was Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon who also interviewed for the Vikings last year, in addition to the Texans and Broncos. Howe went into great detail on every candidate, seeming to list anybody who may be up for a head coaching job in the next few seasons. His list included former NFL head coaches including the retired Sean Payton, Steelers senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach Brian Flores, Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, and former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, as well as the current interim head coach, Wilks. Other serious candidates Howe mentioned were Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, and Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. The list essentially devolved into an article about anybody who may make the jump to NFL head coach in the next few seasons, pointing out “wait and see” candidates such as Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith, Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell, and Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale.
  • One interesting name that came out of today’s rumors was former Panthers All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly. Joe Person of The Athletic advised that an eye be kept on Kuechly, who remains close with Wilks and new defensive coordinator Al Holcomb, to come back in some capacity. After retiring from a pro scout position last year, Kuechly has been working as an analyst on Panthers radio broadcasts.

Rams Hire Liam Coen As OC, Bring Back Greg Olson

February 21st, 2022 at 9:53am CST by Adam La Rose

The favorite for the Rams’ offensive coordinator job is indeed being hired. Liam Coen is set to return to L.A., according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (Twitter link). He adds that Greg Olson is also being brought back to the Rams. 

It was reported as recently as last night that Coen was at the top of the list of OC candidates for the Rams. He spent three years with Sean McVay, working first with the team’s wide receivers and then quarterbacks. That marked his first foray into coaching at the NFL level, following eight seasons in the college ranks.

Coen then returned to the NCAA last year, working as the OC at Kentucky. The 36-year-old received multiple offers to leave that post, but, before this instance, turned them down. The Wildcats were reportedly prepared to lose him last week, though, which signalled that a return to L.A. was likely. He will represent a familiar face on a coaching staff that has undergone significant changes this offseason.

The same can be said for Olson, who, unlike Coen, has a plethora of NFL experience. He has been an OC on six different occasions, including the 2006 and 2007 seasons with the then-St. Louis Rams. Most recently, the 58-year-old had been leading the offense of the Raiders during his second stint with the team. That began after his one-year gig with the Rams during McVay’s first year in charge, where he held the familiar title of quarterbacks coach.

Lastly, Breer reports that Thomas Brown is being given “more responsibility within the offense and team”. Brown, 35, spent 2020 as the team’s running backs coach. Last year, he had the title of assistant head coach added. Again, retaining him – and expanding his role, at that – will be critical to maintaining stability on the offensive staff.

These changes will play a large role in determining if the Super Bowl champions can repeat their top-ten output in terms of points (27) and yards (387) per game in 2021. If they can, they will be in contention to win back-to-back titles.

NFL Coaching Notes: Rams, Brown, Bengals, Texans

February 20th, 2022 at 10:41pm CST by Ely Allen

While the Rams have lost Kevin O’Connell and Wes Phillips to Minnesota, it appears they won’t see their entire offensive staff dismantled. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, assistant quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson is expected to stay with the team with a bit of a promotion in title.

The Rams still have an offensive coordinator position up for grabs. Currently, the favorite to land the job is University of Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen. Coen worked on the Rams’ offensive staff for three years before spending last year in Lexington. He’s turned down multiple job offers recently to remain at Kentucky, but the opportunity to rejoin Sean McVay in Los Angeles may be too good to pass up.

Here are a few more coaching notes from the NFL starting with another note from the Super Bowl LVI champions:

  • Rapoport also reported that Rams’ running backs coach and assistant head coach Thomas Brown is expected to return to Los Angeles. Brown received head coaching interest from Miami and was a candidate to join O’Connell in Minnesota as offensive coordinator before Phillips was announced earlier today. Brown’s presence will provide McVay with some much needed continuity to his offensive staff.
  • The Bengals have hired Charles Burks from the Dolphins to become their cornerbacks coach, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. No word yet on the status of the Bengals’ cornerbacks coach from last season, Steve Jackson.
  • The Texans’ have hired Ted White with the official title of offensive assistant-quarterbacks. White had recently accepted the position of offensive coordinator at Grambling State University under head coach Hue Jackson, but Jackson will have to find someone else to fill the role. White has molded quarterbacks at Texas Southern, Southern, his alma mater of Howard, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and Prairie View A&M. He’ll be tasked with the development of second-year quarterback Davis Mills.

NFC Coaching Notes: Rams, Hankerson, Lions, Commanders, Packers, Giants

February 18th, 2022 at 11:15pm CST by Ely Allen

University of Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen has received heaps of interest around the football world, turning down several college jobs and an NFL job to stay in Lexington. But it sounds as if Coen may soon receive an offer he can’t refuse.

In one year at the helm of the offense, Coen took the Wildcats from 115th in yards per game to 50th. He also improved the scoring offense from 107th in the country to 35th, quickly making him one of the hottest names in college coaching.

It just about looked like Kentucky was going to be able to hold on to their game changer, but, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, they are bracing for the possibility of Coen leaving to return to the Rams in Los Angeles. Prior to his year in Kentucky, Coen spent three years on Sean McVay‘s offensive staff, and a chance to rejoin McVay may be too good to pass up.

Here are a couple more coaching notes from the NFC starting with the promotion of a former Hurricane:

  • With wide receivers coach Wes Welker heading to Miami, the 49ers have offered the position to offensive quality control coach Leonard Hankerson, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. After a five-year career as an NFL wide receiver out of the University of Miami, Hankerson coached wide receivers at UMass and Stephen F. Austin before joining the staff in San Francisco last year.
  • The Lions have parted ways with inside linebacker coach Mark DeLeone this week, according to Justin Rogers of The Detroit News. The son of offensive line coach legend George DeLeone, Mark was hired by Detroit last year after time with the Jets, Chiefs, and Bears. They have two internal candidates who could potentially fill the role: defensive quality control coach Stephen Thomas, who coached inside linebackers in his time at Princeton, and director of football research David Corrao who coached linebackers for the Dolphins during his time in Miami from 2008-2015.
  • With longtime assistant coach Pete Hoener retiring, the Commanders are hiring veteran coach Juan Castillo to handle tight ends, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Castillo is rejoining Ron Rivera, who coached with him for the five seasons Rivera was in Philadelphia from 1999-2003. Castillo has also spent time with the Ravens, Bills, and Bears in various roles on the offensive staff.
  • With their outside linebacker coach Mike Smith leaving to pursue other opportunities, the Packers have hired Jason Rebrovich as his replacement. The 20-year NFL coaching veteran has had stints with the Bills and Jaguars coaching players like Josh Allen, Calais Campbell, and Yannick Ngakoue. In addition, the Packers also announced the return of former offensive coordinator Tom Clements to replace Luke Getsy as quarterbacks coach, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Clements coached for the Packers’ offense for 11 years before retiring after two years with the Cardinals.
  • The Giants have hired Angela Baker as a minority coaching fellow and offensive quality control coach, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Baker is the second female to be added to Brian Daboll‘s staff after Laura Young followed Daboll from Buffalo, where she worked as player services coordinator, for the position of director of coaching operations. The Giants are quickly trying to become a more progressive staff. In 2020, Hannah Burnett was hired as the team’s first full-time female scout.

Sean McVay, Zac Taylor In Line For Extensions; Latest On Rams’ Coaching Staff

February 13th, 2022 at 10:33am CST by Rory Parks

Rams HC Sean McVay and Bengals HC Zac Taylor, who will be squaring off in Super Bowl LVI tonight, will be in line for contract extensions this offseason, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

We had already heard that Cincinnati was planning a new deal for Taylor, who has only one year left on his contract. Schefter does, however, remind us that Taylor — the former McVay disciple — is presently the lowest-paid head coach in the NFL, with a $3.75MM annual salary (Twitter link). Obviously, that will change soon.

McVay, meanwhile, was recently the subject of some idle speculation that he was contemplating leaving the coaching ranks, but he has put those rumors to bed. He is under contract through 2023 as a result of the extension he signed in 2019, a deal that elevated him from one of the league’s lowest-paid head coaches to a salary that, per Joe Rivera of the Sporting News, is believed to be in the $8.5MM ballpark. Another extension might mean an eight-figure annual income for McVay.

The 36-year-old head coach has compiled a 55-26 regular season record, three NFC West titles, and two NFC championships during his five-year run. The success that he and his clubs have enjoyed have made other teams anxious to poach his staffers, and that has happened again in 2022, with OC Kevin O’Connell set to become head coach of the Vikings and secondary coach/passing game coordinator Ejiro Evero heading to Denver to become the Broncos’ defensive coordinator.

As Schefter reports in a full-length piece, O’Connell is likely to bring Rams tight ends coach/passing game coordinator Wes Phillips with him to Minnesota to serve as the Vikes’ offensive coordinator or passing game coordinator. Schefter names Kentucky OC Liam Coen — a Rams staffer from 2018-20 — as a “prime candidate” to replace O’Connell, though RB coach Thomas Brown could also garner consideration for the soon-to-be-vacant OC job. Yet another candidate is Greg Olson, who spent the last four seasons as the Raiders’ OC but who was the Rams’ QB coach in 2017, McVay’s first season as HC.

Whether it’s to become Los Angeles’ new OC or to reprise his role as QB coach, Olson is expected to rejoin McVay’s staff in 2022.

NFC Notes: Peters, Panthers, Saints

February 25th, 2018 at 11:38am CST by Rory Parks

The Rams were one of only two teams to express legitimate interest in acquiring CB Marcus Peters, and while Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay cannot yet talk about Peters or the trade specifically, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star says it is no surprise that the Rams would be the team to land the former first-rounder. Although Peters is now eligible for a long-term extension and is likely to be on his best behavior anyway as a result, Paylor notes that McVay has quickly established a strong presence in LA, and he and DC Wade Phillips have full command and respect of the locker room. Paylor suggests that the Rams’ trade for Peters demonstrates their faith in their culture, and that culture, combined with the fact that they play on the West Coast — where Peters has long indicated he wants to be — made it a perfect fit.

Now let’s take a look at a few more NFC notes:

  • The Rams are hiring Holy Cross offensive coordinator Liam Coen as their assistant WRs coach, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
  • Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer takes a look at the Panthers‘ plans for the offseason, and he says Carolina will likely release DE Charles Johnson, though it is difficult to say whether Julius Peppers will be back or will call it a career. Person also does not expect Andrew Norwell to be back, so the Panthers will need to draft or sign a defensive end and a guard this offseason, and the hope is that whatever guard they acquire will also be capable of playing center.
  • The Saints have a few interesting calls to make with respect to their restricted free agents, as Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune observes. Willie Snead, Delvin Breaux, and Brandon Coleman are all RFAs, and although Holder does not make any specific predictions, it sounds as if Snead may be playing elsewhere in 2018, but Breaux and Coleman could be back.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says Lions GM Bob Quinn has shown a few noticeable draft tendencies in his first several years on the job, including his apparent preferences to draft for need, to draft high-floor prospects (even if those prospects don’t have the potential to be stars), and to draft high-character players with track records at major collegiate programs. In light of that, Birkett predicts that Detroit will select Boston College DE Harold Landry in the first round of the 2018 draft.
  • We learned earlier today that it does not look like Anthony Hitchens will be back with the Cowboys.