How Bucs’ Liam Coen helped Florida Gators land Graham Mertz. Sort of

DALLAS — Billy Napier’s future with the Florida Gators hinges, in part, on his evaluation, development and deployment of quarterback Graham Mertz.

It’s a process that got an indirect assist from Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen.

Mertz had several options after he decided to transfer from Wisconsin at the end of the 2022 season. One of them was Kentucky.

“I loved Kentucky, man,” Mertz said this week during SEC media days. “It was a fun town. Great city.”

But there’s something the Wildcats did not have but Florida did: an offensive coordinator.

Kentucky fired that assistant, Rich Scangarello, after the season. Mertz entered the portal on Dec. 4. A day later, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops told reporters that he was still in the middle of talking with candidates and that he wasn’t going to limit his options.

Stoops still hadn’t hired a candidate by the time Mertz visited. That was a concern.

“At the time, I needed stability,” Mertz said.

Stability, after all, is one reason why Mertz was in the portal, anyway. The Badgers fired Mertz’s head coach, Paul Chryst, five games into the season.

Kentucky eventually zeroed in on Coen, who worked there a year earlier. But Coen was the Rams offensive coordinator; the Wildcats didn’t announce his addition until Jan. 10, two days after Coen’s NFL season ended.

With Kentucky’s offense in limbo, Mertz picked Florida, where he knew who would be coaching his position and installing the offense: Napier.

“I needed that stability of knowing who’s going to be calling the plays, what’s the offense going to be, how are we going to grow and develop — that kind of thing,” Mertz said. “I fell in love with Florida.”

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