For Kentucky football’s new offense to take off, Cats must learn ‘the book’ of Coen
When Liam Coen met with the media on Tuesday morning for his weekly Zoom call, you could tell Kentucky’s new offensive coordinator was a bit, well, agitated.
“We definitely need to get in our books and learn this install a little bit better than we did today,” said Coen, having just come off the practice field as the Wildcats resumed spring drills after a brief Easter break.
“The book” is the playbook. It’s also the mantra of UK’s new offense, a carryover from Coen’s days as an assistant with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams before signing on with Mark Stoops last December. In the NFL, if you don’t know “the book” you don’t play. The early report from the Craft Football Training Facility is that if you don’t know “the book” you’re not going to play.
“At the next level, if you don’t have your iPad on you, you’re probably going to get fined,” Coen said Tuesday. “You don’t have enough time for an hour meeting and then go out on the field and expect to do it. They’ve got to get into their books, extra studying, extra work. At the end of the day, that’s something that needs to get done when you’re behind like we are in terms of getting an offense in.”
How far behind? Overall, Coen said he’d give his install about a 3.5. He’s happy with that, but far from satisfied.
“The expectations are high in terms of getting in, getting extra work in on their own, doing time, quizzing each other, flash cards, anything they can do in order to learn and get an edge in terms of learning this offense,” Coen said. “It’s my job to communicate that to them right now.”
So how complicated is the “the book”?
“I wouldn’t say it’s as complicated as an NFL-style playbook. They’re in the big leagues for a reason,” said senior offensive tackle Darian Kinnard. “But I feel like it’s a great playbook to have, especially for our type of offensive line and our team. I feel like it’s a perfect fit for us.”
Knowing “the book” can also the level the playing field for new players, who would be behind the older players in an established offense.
“It absolutely levels the playing field,” Coen said. “The best players are going to play at the end of the day on the offensive side of the ball. I don’t care if you’re a senior or you’re a freshman. Obviously, experience helps. But the best players are going to play who know the offense, who get lined up, who throw and catch and do all those little things that you’re looking for.”
Example: LaVell Wright, freshman running back and mid-year enrollee out of North Hardin High School.
“That kid has done an unbelievable job of learning the offense, knowing what he’s supposed to, alignment, assignment, just as well as some of those older kids,” Coen said.
Example: Chauncey Magwood, freshman wide receiver and mid-year enrollee out of Leesburg, Georgia.
“Chauncey is another kid, similar to LaVell, who eats it all up,” Coen said. “He’s doing a really nice job of learning the book and getting in it. He’s really just a great kid. . . Wants to do things the right way all the time.”
To run the offense the right way all the time, you have to know the offense.
“In terms of understanding, I think we’re getting there, now it’s just the execution,” Coen said. “It’s not gonna all be rah-rah-sis-boom-bah all happy go lucky. It’s supposed to be hard. In practice, adversity is supposed to come up so Saturdays are easy. Today we didn’t have anybody step up and make a play.”
Which left Kentucky’s new offensive coordinator a little, well, agitated.
“Guys are working. They’re working. That’s the one thing about the culture of this program, these kids work,” Coen said. “Now let’s get a few wrinkles in over the next two weeks of spring practice and go from there.”
And dive deeper into “the book.”
