Led by the youngest head coach in the NFL, the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff for Super Bowl 56 is a mix of youth and experience. Let’s take a look at the Rams coaching staff for the 2021-22 NFL season.
Los Angeles Rams Coaching Staff
The Rams made a couple of changes to their coaching staff heading into the 2021 NFL season. The departure of Brandon Staley to the Los Angeles Chargers left an opening at defensive coordinator. The Rams took the opportunity to add more experience to the staff.
That has been a common theme since Sean McVay has been head coach. Let’s examine the Rams head coach and his background prior to arriving in Los Angeles.
Sean McVay | Rams Head Coach
When McVay was hired by the Rams as their head coach in 2017, he became the youngest head coach in the modern NFL era. In his first year leading the team, McVay was named the AP NFL Coach of the Year. In his career as a head coach, McVay has a 55-26 record in the regular season and 6-3 in the playoffs heading into Super Bowl 56.
McVay’s coaching career started in 2008 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an offensive assistant. After spending four years in Washington as an offensive assistant and then tight ends coach, he was made the offensive coordinator in 2014. After holding that role for three seasons, McVay was hired by the Rams with the hopes of bringing out the best in then LA QB Jard Goff.
Rams Coordinators
It is an intriguing mix of names that make up the Rams coordinators. In Kevin O’Connell, there is another young offensive-minded head coach. Meanwhile, the defense and special teams are run by the more experienced coordinators in Raheem Morris and Joe DeCamillis.
Kevin O’Connell | Offensive Coordinator
O’Connell is marginally younger than McVay, having been born four months later. He started his NFL coaching career in 2015, having been in the league as a player from 2008-2012. His specialism has been working with quarterbacks, but he was also the Washington passing game coordinator in 2018 before becoming their offensive coordinator in 2019.
O’Connell joined the Rams in 2020 as the offensive coordinator. He is reportedly set to be hired as the Minnesota Vikings head coach after the Super Bowl. He will become the second-youngest head coach in the NFL currently.
Raheem Morris | Defensive Coordinator
Morris has spent the majority of his career coaching defense, with a specialty on defensive backs for the most part. His first time as a defensive coordinator came in 2006 with Kansas State. Morris was also the Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator for the first six games of 2020.
This is the third time Morris and McVay have worked together. They were together for one year with the Buccaneers in 2008, before being on the same staff for three years between 2012 and 2014 with Washington. Morris spent the end of the 2020 NFL season as the interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons after Dan Quinn was fired in Week 6 of the season.
Joe DeCamillis | Special Teams Coordinator
DeCamillis brings with him a wealth of experience working with special teams. He has been a special teams coordinator for five different teams dating back to 2009. Prior to joining the Rams this season, DeCamillis had spent the previous four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars. His NFL special-teams experience dates back to 1988 — at which point McVay was just two years old.
Rams Assistant Coaches
The Rams currently have 17 assistant and positions coaches listed as part of their team. This includes nine on offense and eight on defense.
Offense
- John Bonamego | Senior coaching assistant
- Thomas Brown | Running Backs/Assistant head coach
- Kevin Carberry | Offensive Line
- Zac Robinson | Assistant quarterbacks
- Wes Phillips | Tight Ends/Pass game coordinator
- Eric Yarber | Wide Receivers
- Nick Jones | Offensive assistant
- Zak Kromer | Offensive assistant
- Chris O’Hara | Offensive assistant
Defense
- Thad Bogardus | Assistant linebackers
- Jonathan Cooley | Assistant secondary
- Marcus Dixon | Assistant defensive line
- Ejiro Evero | Secondary/Pass game coordinator
- Eric Henderson | Defensive Line/Run game coordinator
- Chris Shula | Linebackers
- Dwayne Stukes | Assistant special teams
- Lance Schulters | Coaching fellow