Kentucky's Liam Coen, Bucs Agree to Contract as OC to Replace Dave Canales

One week after Dave Canales left to become head coach of the Carolina Panthers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have locked up Liam Coen as their next offensive coordinator.

The addition of Coen could be viewed as an indication the Buccaneers want to keep Baker Mayfield as their quarterback.

Mayfield, who signed a one-year deal with Tampa last offseason, told NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe (h/t NFL.com's Grant Gordon) his desire to stay with the club "kind of depends" on who they hired to replace Canales.

Canales and Mayfield had a terrific 2023 season working together. He set career-highs with 4,044 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and a 64.3 completion percentage. The 28-year-old was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.

The Panthers hired Canales as their new head coach on Jan. 25.

If Mayfield doesn't return to the Buccaneers, they will have to find an answer at quarterback. Kyle Trask, a second-round draft pick in 2021, didn't seem to take advantage of his opportunity last offseason after Tom Brady retired.

Coen has bounced back and forth between Kentucky and the Los Angeles Rams over the past six seasons. He was an assistant on Sean McVay's staff from 2018 to '20 before being named quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for the Wildcats in 2021.

After one season in Kentucky, Coen went back to the Rams as their offensive coordinator. Mayfield spent the final five games of the 2022 season working with Coen in Los Angeles after he was released by the Panthers.

Coen left the Rams to take his previous position as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Kentucky in 2023.