Rams Rumors: Liam Coen Lands OC Contract on Sean McVay's Staff to Replace O'Connell

The Los Angeles Rams have reportedly hired University of Kentucky offensive coordinator and former Rams assistant Liam Coen as their new offensive coordinator.

According to SI.com's Albert Breer, the Rams are also adding Greg Olson to the offensive coaching staff and giving assistant head coach Thomas Brown "more responsibility within the offense and team."

Rams head coach Sean McVay is adding Coen to replace previous OC Kevin O'Connell, who was hired to be the Minnesota Vikings' new head coach after L.A. won Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 36-year-old Coen got his start as an NFL coach thanks to McVay in 2018 when he hired him to be the Rams' assistant wide receivers coach. Coen served in that role for two seasons before becoming assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020.

Coen then made the move back to the college ranks where he served as offensive coordinator for a Kentucky team that went 10-3 and ranked 36th out of 130 FBS teams with 32.3 points per game.

Additionally, Coen was the offensive coordinator at Maine from 2016-17, so he returns to L.A. with a few years of collegiate OC experience to his credit.

Since McVay calls the plays, Coen is likely to have a role similar to the one O'Connell possessed before he took the Vikings' head coaching position.

The reported hiring of Olson is also significant since he is an experienced offensive coordinator at the NFL level.

Olson, 58, has been an offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars during his career, and he had two separate stints as the Raiders' OC, including a run from 2018-21.

He is familiar with McVay's system as well since Olson served as the Rams' quarterbacks coach under McVay in 2017.

As for Brown, he was hired as the Rams' running backs coach in 2020 and was elevated to running backs coach and assistant head coach last season. He has OC experience as well, serving the role at the University of Miami from 2016-18.

The influx of offensive coaching hires is significant since the Rams are not only losing O'Connell but are likely losing passing game coordinator and tight ends coach Wes Phillips, who is following O'Connell to Minnesota to be the Vikings' offensive coordinator, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

L.A.'s new offensive coaching staff will have no shortage of talent to work with next season.

Matthew Stafford will return as the starting quarterback after leading the Rams to a Super Bowl win this past season, as will reigning Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp at wide receiver.

Other key offensive players under contract next season for a Rams team that ranked ninth in total offense and seventh in scoring offense in 2021 include running backs Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson, wide receivers Robert Woods and Van Jefferson, and tight end Tyler Higbee.