When the 2010 football season rolls around, All-Ivy quarterback Kyle Newhall-Caballero '11 will be under the tutelage of a coach who has had his own share of success in Rhode Island football. Liam Coen — a native of Warwick, R.I., and a former star high school player at La Salle Academy in Providence — was named the new quarterbacks coach by Head Coach Phil Estes in late June.
Coen built on his successful high school career at the University of Massachusetts, where he racked up an impressive set of achievements as a four-year starter. Coen was a National Player of the Year candidate as a senior in 2008, and left the program holding career records in almost all UMass passing categories.
In his new role, Coen will rely on his playing experience to assist Newhall-Caballero, who put up impressive statistics of his own as a first-time starter last season. Newhall-Caballero led the Ivy League with 2,709 passing yards and was ranked 10th in total offense in the Football Championship Subdivision.
"Kyle's a very bright kid who can make all the throws," Coen said. "He's crafty and does a lot of great things on the football field."
But Coen still sees room for improvement in Newhall-Caballero's game, especially in terms of on-field leadership. Newhall-Caballero was named one of three captains for the 2010 team.
"We're going to look for him to be more of a vocal competitor and a leader of our program," Coen said. "We want him to work on knowing everything that's going on around him, and be able to lead the team with a field general, point guard-type mentality."
Coen is following in the footsteps of his father, Tim, a mainstay in Rhode Island high school football who coached his son at La Salle. Coen will bring that familial knowledge of the Rhode Island football world to the Bears.
"I have a connection with some of the high school coaches in the area," Coen said. "I know where some of the talent looms."
"Brown's done a great job of recruiting Rhode Island players as it is. If I can help in any aspect, that would be great," he said.
More than anything, Coen seems excited to return to his old stomping grounds to begin his coaching career.
"It's more of a pride thing, being from around the area," he said. "I'm going to take a lot of pride in representing the University and the state itself."
