Coen ready for NFL opportunity
INDIANAPOLIS — The texts have come daily, and they aren’t getting old.
Liam Coen, the most decorated quarterback in UMass history who has since made the rounds in New England as an assistant coach, joined the Los Angeles Rams staff last month as the assistant wide receivers coach. His father, Tim Coen, couldn’t be any prouder.
“He’s out-of-his-mind excited right now,” Liam Coen said. “He texts me every day, ‘You’re in the NFL.’ It’s pretty cool. It’s a dream come true. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do, and it’s the level I’ve always wanted to get to.”
Coen played for his father at La Salle Academy in Rhode Island, so coaching is in the family’s DNA. After graduating from UMass in 2008, Coen spent a year in the Arena Football League and then worked in various offensive capacities at Brown, Rhode Island, UMass, Maine and Holy Cross.
Coen worked with Rams passing game coordinator Shane Waldron at UMass, and Waldron facilitated Coen’s interview with the Rams staff, including NFL coach of the year Sean McVay.
“A special coach, he has a great big-picture perspective,” McVay said of Coen. “Really, it is a credit to Shane where he spoke so highly of Liam from their time working together at UMass. And then you get Liam in the building, and he has a presence about himself. I think what’s so important, we’ve got a good staff dynamic right now, and that was important for everybody, especially on our offensive staff to get a feel for Liam’s personality. It was pretty much unanimous where everybody felt great about bringing him in the building.”
Coen was presented with an incredible opportunity to work for McVay, who transformed the Rams from a 4-12 team to an 11-5 squad that made the playoffs for the first time since 2004. McVay, who is considered an offensive mastermind, guided the Rams to a league-high 29.9 points per game, developed quarterback Jared Goff and added receivers Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp.
That’s why Coen took the job, just two months after being hired as the Holy Cross offensive coordinator.
“It’s the NFL. You can’t turn down the NFL,” Coen said. “From a timing standpoint, obviously you never want to commit to something and then have to back out of that commitment in such a short period of time. Obviously, I felt some remorse and guilt about making that move. But ultimately, at the end of the day, this was the best decision for me and my family and friends.”
Coen, 32, called McVay a “stud,” and the chance to learn that system will be priceless. As a former quarterback, Coen also thinks he can provide a unique perspective while teaching the receivers about Goff’s reads and progressions.
Coen will further develop as a coach, too. He learned how to engage with players from Phil Estes at Brown, particularly how to get them to play as hard as possible. And Coen learned how to organize a game plan from Mark Whipple at UMass and then how to run his own offense and call plays at Maine.
He moves to California tomorrow “to get right to work” and embark on a coaching dream.
“A hundred percent, (the NFL) is always where I wanted to end up,” Coen said. “I like the college game and appreciate it and respect it, but I’ve always wanted to try to make it to the pinnacle of the profession.”
Popular guy
The Patriots have expressed mild interest in resigning running back Dion Lewis, but the impending free agent has also piqued the curiosity of more than half the league, according to a source.
As expected, the Pats will have to make a strong offer to retain their leading back, as Lewis could land a proposal as high as $18 million over three years. The Pats will likely gauge Lewis’ best offers in free agency before deciding whether or not to extend their own strong proposal.
Big fish on the move
The Dolphins have generated enough interest in receiver Jarvis Landry that the likelihood of a trade has increased this week, according to a source. The Pats haven’t been involved.
The Dolphins placed the $16 million franchise tag on Landry, but they permitted him to find a trade partner . . . .
The Pats received the No.43 pick in the draft yesterday as a result of trading quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers, who won a coin flip against the Raiders. The teams had identical records and strengths of schedule, so the flip was used to break the tie. If the Raiders won the toss, the Pats would have picked at No. 41.