The Los Angeles Rams have been a pathway to success for assistant coaches with several of them being hired by other teams after brief stints with the Rams. Some of the more notable names include Matt LaFleur, Zac Taylor and Brandon Staley, who all went on to land head-coaching gigs after working as coordinators on Sean McVay’s staff.
McVay has had to replace coaches more often than he’d like to, though he is always happy to see them earn promotions and advance their careers. This coming offseason probably won’t be any different with there being a very good chance that at least a handful of coaches leave L.A. for jobs with other teams.
McVay wouldn’t be surprised if that happens, and as tough as it’ll be to replace them, he’ll also be excited for them.
“It’s one of the coolest, most rewarding things, but it’s also very challenging because you’re losing great people – because we’ve had a lot of turnover for all the right reasons,” McVay said Thursday. “These guys have earned the opportunity to continue to progress. I think the one thing that I’ve really learned is how fortunate and blessed I was early on in my career to have people who were willing to give me opportunities to even be in this role talking to you guys.
“But you have to replace those people, and that hasn’t always been the easiest thing. But we’ve had a lot of great people come through here. Nothing makes me happier than to see that, but that doesn’t mean I’m excited about losing great coaches. I look at it like it’s positive problems, but I’ve gotten a chance to get exposure to a lot of really special coaches. I wouldn’t be surprised if we lose some great ones this year and I’ll be happy but I’ll be disappointed that I don’t get to work with those guys anymore but it’ll be an opportunity for other people to connect with them and if that happens, then it’s a good thing. It’s bittersweet.”
It’s not hard to see which coaches might get an opportunity with other teams this offseason. Raheem Morris could be a target for teams looking for a new head coach, given his experience in that exact role and with the job he’s done as the Rams’ defensive coordinator this season.
Kevin O’Connell could also be the next coach to go from Rams offensive coordinator to calling plays somewhere else, similar to the way LaFleur and Taylor did. Running backs coach/assistant head coach Thomas Brown is another name to watch during the hiring cycle, being someone McVay always speaks highly of.
The Rams are prepared to lose some of their assistants and like McVay said, it wouldn’t be surprising. But they’ve found ways to replace important coaches in the past, so it’ll just be much of the same in 2022.
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