FOXBOROUGH – Somehow, Ashton Grant and Liam Coen haven’t crossed paths in their coaching careers despite both being local guys.
They’ve both had multiple stops around New England after lengthy playing careers, gone to countless coaching clinics and each had a handful of stops around the NFL and yet, nothing.
It almost happened though…sort of.
Bob Chesney had hired Coen away from Maine to be his offensive coordinator in January of 2018 heading into his first season with Holy Cross. Before Coen ever wore anything purple, he ended up joining Sean McVay’s staff in Los Angeles. Months later, Grant graduated from Assumption and joined Chesney’s staff in Worcester as a quality control coach.
This Sunday, the kid from Warwick, RI and the kid from Manchester, CT will not only cross paths – assuming there’s some type of conversation or handshake pregame – they’ll huge pieces of the coaching puzzle when the Jaguars and Patriots play in Jacksonville. Coen a little more so than Grant, of course.
Coen has already established himself as an offensive guru on the rise after a ridiculous playing career at UMass, leaving a legacy as the best QB in Minutemen history. Grant had over 3,000 yards as a receiver at Assumption, worked his way through the ranks and is now in conversations as an up-and-coming star in NFL coaching circles.
“Funny story. I think Liam got hired by Coach Chesney at Holy Cross, was there for two weeks and then got the job in LA, so I missed him by maybe a couple months, I do not know him personally,” Grant said on Thursday.
What’s even stranger, is that there’s five members of the Jaguars staff that went to UMass and four that went to BC and Grant has never met or worked with any of them.
New England isn’t that big.
“No, I don’t think so,” Grant added pondering when I asked if he had met or worked with any of them. “I know about the Campaniles just from like, recruiting in college. I think their defensive coordinator (Anthony Campanile) does a good job. But, I don’t know anyone personally.”
While Grant obviously hopes his guy Drake Maye out-duels Liam’s guy Trevor Lawrence on Sunday, there’s always a pride factor among New England-made coaches or players upon seeing someone have the type of success Coen is having early in his head coaching career.
“Yeah, I love when people from New England go on and have some success and take maybe, the road less traveled,” Grant added. “I was familiar with him when he was at the University of Maine. I wasn’t familiar before that.
“But, to see him climb from assistant position coach with the Rams, to going to Kentucky, back to the Rams in an elevated role is pretty cool to see. Of course now, he’s doing what he’s doing.”