The Los Angeles Rams have found their replacement for Wade Phillips at defensive coordinator. They’re hiring 37-year-old Brandon Staley to take over the role, which is quite the change in age.
This will be Staley’s first stint as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, but he doesn’t lack coaching experience.
Here are four things to know about the Rams’ new DC.
He’s an understudy of Vic Fangio
Staley has worked under one of the better defensive minds in the league for the last three years. He began his career with the Bears as their outside linebackers coach, working alongside Fangio, who was Chicago’s defensive coordinator when Staley got his start in 2017. He remained on the staff in 2018 when Matt Nagy took over for John Fox, keeping the same position.
In 2019, when Fangio was hired as the Broncos’ head coach, he followed him to Denver and became their outside linebackers coach there, too. In Denver, Staley worked with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb before the rookie got injured.