BREAKING: Bucs Set To Hire New Offensive Coordinator

After a deliberate amount of interviews and requests to find their next offensive play-caller to replace Dave Canales, it appears the Bucs have found their next one. According to a report from Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Bucs are working to hire Liam Coen as offensive coordinator.

Liam Coen’s Coaching History

Liam Coen was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the collegiate level for the Kentucky Wildcats last season. The year before that he was the offensive coordinator for the Rams under head coach Sean McVay. Coen has actually gone back and forth between Kentucky and the Rams over the last several years.

He was with the Rams from 2018 through 2020 as an assistant coach working with wide receivers and quarterbacks, then went to Kentucky in 2021 to become the offensive coordinator. He is well experienced as he’s been coaching at either the college or pro level since 2010.

Last season as the offensive coordinator at Kentucky, his offense was Top 25 in the country in play-action percentage. Will Levis, who was drafted by the Titans last season, was 19th overall in play-action efficiency as well. This is what can work for the Bucs heading into next season.

There were a number of candidates that Todd Bowles, Jason Licht and the Tampa Bay front office looked at last season, but a few decided to go elsewhere before the team settled on Dave Canales, who did not have any previous play-calling experience. For Coen, he gets to prove once again that he can be a play-caller at the NFL level, and the Bucs benefit knowing he’s had previous play-calling experience. Perhaps just as important, Coen worked with Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield at the end of the 2022 season in Los Angeles, so there is some connection to the pending free agent passer.

What Does This Mean For Bucs Re-Signing Baker Mayfield?

Of course a big question in all of this is what does it mean for Tampa Bay and Baker Mayfield? Liam Coen was his offensive coordinator with the Rams during that time at the end of the 2022 season and helped him get on track enough to parlay his stretch of play into a contract to compete for a starting role in Tampa Bay last year.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

Mayfield went on record during the Pro Bowl games about his possible return to Tampa Bay depending on who the team hires to replace Dave Canales as offensive coordinator. His career was revived by Canales and Mayfield is now looking for a big pay day and a multi-year contract. Having familiarity with Coen can improve Tampa Bay’s chances of re-signing Mayfield in free agency.

Yet Coen’s arrival doesn’t automatically guarantee that Mayfield returns to the team, as he will have other suitors. At the moment, it’s just enough that the Bucs do have someone as their offensive coordinator that they can move forward with. Next they can fill their wide receiver and offensive line coaching positions.

It took a little while, but the Bucs have landed on their next coordinator as they hope to find more success with an unsuspecting candidate.