Tag: thomas brown

Thomas Brown’s move from RBs coach to TEs coach sets him up for future success

Thomas Brown will remain the Rams’ assistant HC, but he’s moving from RBs coach to TEs coach – a change that sets him up for future success

Thomas Brown’s stock as a coaching candidate has been on the rise since joining Sean McVay’s staff with the Rams in 2020. This was his first NFL job after coaching running backs at six different colleges, and his ascension with the Rams has been impressive to watch.

He started out as the running backs coach in 2020, taking over for the highly successful Skip Peete. He then added the responsibility of assistant head coach last year, working closely with McVay and the rest of the staff.

Though it may not seem like another promotion, Brown is moving from running backs coach to tight ends coach this year. McVay announced the change during his combine press conference Wednesday, explaining how it will help Brown – a coach he says has “tremendous upside.”

“I also think it’s gonna be a great opportunity for Thomas Brown to move over,” McVay said. “He’s gonna coach the tight ends this next year. I think he’s a coach with tremendous upside. You guys know what a great leader I think he is. That’s why he has the role of assistant head coach. But I also think getting him exposure to the different positions will help expand the big-picture perspective. I know when I coached tight ends, it was one of those roles that helped me gain an appreciation and really was probably where a lot of the growth occurred, seeing the game not only through not only an all-11, but an all-22 lens. He’ll do a great job.”

Brown interviewed with the Vikings to be their offensive coordinator on Kevin O’Connell’s staff. The job ultimately went to Wes Phillips, who coached the Rams’ tight ends the last three years – in addition to being the pass game coordinator last season.

The Dolphins also interviewed Brown for their head coaching vacancy. He didn’t get the job, but simply earning an interview for a head coaching position after just two seasons in the NFL is a huge accomplishment.

By moving from RBs coach to TEs coach, Brown will only increase his chances of becoming a future head coach – or at the very least, an offensive coordinator. As McVay pointed out, coaching the tight ends will give him a better perspective of both the offense and defense, given the skill set that tight ends need to have.

Brown will have greater exposure to the passing game than he did as the running backs coach, but he’ll also remain an important part of the rushing attack. Tight ends have to be blockers in the running game as well as receivers for their quarterback, so getting the chance to coach one of the most demanding positions on the field will only benefit Brown.

There’s a history of tight ends coaches going on to becoming offensive coordinators and head coaches, too. McVay coached the tight ends for three years in Washington before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2014.

Phillips also landed the Vikings’ coordinator job after coaching the Rams’ tight ends. Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman was Baltimore’s tight ends coach before becoming its OC in 2019. Nathaniel Hackett’s offensive coordinator with the Broncos, Justin Outten, was the Packers’ tight ends coach for the last three years. The same goes for Todd Downing in Tennessee.

So while it would’ve been awesome to see Brown get promoted to Rams offensive coordinator this offseason, it’s likely that he’ll earn that title either in Los Angeles or elsewhere in the near future – and this move to tight ends coach will only help pave the way.

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Rams expected to interview Ra’Shaad Samples for RBs coach job, Thomas Brown moving to TEs coach

The Rams are expected to interview Ra’Shaad Samples out of TCU to potentially coach their running backs.

The Los Angeles Rams are undergoing some changes within their coaching staff this offseason, which is nothing new for Sean McVay. Amid the game of musical chairs happening on their coaching staff, the Rams have their eye on an up-and-coming assistant in the college ranks to fill one of their vacant positions.

As first reported by Matt Zenitz of On3Sports — and since confirmed by the Star-Telegram — Los Angeles is planning to interview Ra’Shaad Samples for their running backs coach job.

Samples, who turned 27 years old back in December, is the current assistant head coach, running backs coach, and run-game coordinator at TCU. Before joining TCU in 2022, Samples spent time at SMU, Texas, and Houston in assistant coach positions.

Some may be wondering what this means for Thomas Brown, who has been the running backs coach for the Rams in the last two seasons. After interviewing for the Miami Dolphins head coaching gig and the offensive coordinator position for the Minnesota Vikings, Brown remains on McVay’s coaching staff.

According to Zenitz, Brown is reportedly going to replace Wes Phillips as the Rams’ tight ends coach after Phillips left to become the offensive coordinator of the Vikings.

So besides his title of assistant head coach, Brown would coach the tight ends for the first time in his career.

This offseason, the Rams have notably brought back Liam Coen and Greg Olson, along with promoting Zac Robinson on their coaching staff. With McVay looking to reload his coaching staff, it appears that he has his sights on a rising star in the college coaching ranks in Samples.

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Report: Rams hiring Liam Coen as offensive coordinator, also bringing back Greg Olson

The Rams are reuniting with two familiar faces, hiring Liam Coen as their new OC and bringing Greg Olson back to Los Angeles

Although he did plenty of celebrating last week after the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI, Sean McVay has also spent time working to fill out his coaching staff for 2022 after it was picked apart by other teams – again.

According to Albert Breer of the MMQB, the Rams are hiring Liam Coen as their offensive coordinator to replace Kevin O’Connell. They’re also bringing back Greg Olson, and RBs coach/assistant head coach Thomas Brown will gain more responsibility with the team.

Coen was the Rams’ assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020 before leaving to become Kentucky’s offensive coordinator last year. He won’t get to call the plays in LA, but this puts him on a path to potentially become an NFL head coach down the road.

Olson was the Rams’ quarterbacks coach for one year in 2017 but was hired by the Raiders as their offensive coordinator in 2018. His role with the Rams is unclear right now, but he’ll be back on McVay’s staff.

Mike Jones of USA TODAY Sports reports that Brown will be more involved in the passing game to help him develop into a future offensive coordinator.

Rams expect Thomas Brown to stay in LA and will give Zac Robinson a promotion

The Rams expect Thomas Brown to remain on their staff in 2022, and they’ll also give Zac Robinson a new title this year

Since winning the Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Rams’ coaching staff has already undergone plenty of shuffling – a yearly tradition for Sean McVay’s group. Kevin O’Connell, Ejiro Evero and now Wes Phillips have all left, but the good news is that Thomas Brown and Zac Robinson will both be back.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Rams expect Brown to return to McVay’s staff this year after he drew interest from teams as a head coach candidate and offensive coordinator target. Additionally, Robinson will remain with the Rams with a better title, though Rapoport didn’t specify what his role will be.

Brown was the Rams’ running backs coach and assistant head coach in 2021, doing an excellent job in both roles. McVay regularly praised him on a weekly basis. He interviewed for the Vikings’ OC position – which went to Phillips – and also met with the Dolphins for their head coaching role before Mike McDaniel was hired.

Robinson just completed his third season with the Rams as the assistant quarterbacks coach. The Rams didn’t have a quarterbacks coach in 2021 due to O’Connell working closely with the QBs in his role as the offensive coordinator.

Liam Coen is a top candidate to replace O’Connell as the Rams’ offensive coordinator, according to Rapoport. He was their assistant QBs coach in 2020 before leaving to be Kentucky’s offensive coordinator last year.

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Charles London interviewing for Rams’ offensive coordinator position

Charles London, the current QBs coach for the Falcons, is interviewing for the Rams’ offensive coordinator job.

Kevin O’Connell has been named the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, leaving the Los Angeles Rams searching for a new offensive coordinator. Aside from the other candidates that are being considered, the Rams are reportedly interviewing Charles London, the current quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons.

London began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Duke University back in 2004-2005 following a collegiate career at the running back position. Since then, London has climbed the coaching ranks, spending time with the Chicago Bears, the Tennessee Titans, the Houston Texans, Penn State, and the Falcons.

Before joining the Falcons in 2021, London spent most of his coaching career as a running backs coach. But just this past season, he spent his first year as a quarterbacks coach under head coach Arthur Smith, who was hired last season from the Titans.

Throughout his career, London has spent time with numerous players. Most notably, he was with the Texans when Arian Foster was running rampant in the league and he was a member of the Titans’ coaching staff when Chris Johnson was skating past defenders.

London will join Kentucky offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, and Thomas Brown — the current running backs coach for the Rams — as reported candidates that could replace O’Connell. Brown is also expected to receive interest from the Vikings for their offensive coordinator position, so there’s a chance the Rams lose him to O’Connell’s coaching staff.

The Rams don’t seem to be in any rush to name a new offensive coordinator as they continue to celebrate their Super Bowl victory. While Los Angeles could reach out to other candidates in the coming weeks, London appears to be someone they are interested in.

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Former Georgia RB Thomas Brown to interview for Vikings OC position

The former Georgia RB is also a candidate to replace O’Connell as OC in LA.

Per a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Minnesota Vikings are expected to interview former Georgia tailback and assistant coach Thomas Brown to fill their offensive coordinator vacancy.

Brown is currently the running backs coach and assistant head coach for the Los Angeles Rams.

The Vikings are expected to officially introduce Rams’ offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell as their new head coach on Thursday, so this would be a move that makes sense given Brown’s connections to O’Connell. Per Pelissero, Brown is also a candidate to replace O’Connell as offensive coordinator in Los Angeles.

Brown, who played running back at Georgia from 2004-07, was hired by the Rams to coach the running backs in 2020. He spent the 2015 season at Georgia, coaching a running backs group that featured Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. As a unit, Georgia rushed for 2,513 yards on the year, including 194.3 yards per game.

From Vikings Wire:

Brown, a former sixth-round draft pick for the Atlanta Falcons, has risen through the coaching ranks since his days training strength and conditioning at the University of Georgia. He latched on as a running backs coach for the Rams in 2020 before being promoted as an assistant head coach in their 2021 Super Bowl season.

The 35-year-old coach obviously has a clear connection with incoming Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, who is expected to be introduced on Thursday.

This past season, en route to helping the Rams win the Super Bowl, Brown coached Michel in Los Angeles, reuniting the two after their time together in Athens. He was also reunited with quarterback Matthew Stafford, who the Rams traded for in the offseason. Brown and Stafford were teammates in Athens from 2006-07.

Brown worked as South Carolina’s running backs coach in 2019 and was the University of Miami’s offensive coordinator from 2016-2018.

During Brown’s career at Georgia, he rushed for 2,646 yards and 23 touchdowns on 529 touches.

Vikings interviewing Thomas Brown for offensive coordinator job

Another member of the Super Bowl-winning Rams staff could be Minnesota-bound.

Los Angeles Rams running backs coach and assistant head coach Thomas Brown is expected to interview for the vacant offensive coordinator position with the Minnesota Vikings.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the news on Tuesday night.

Brown, a former sixth-round draft pick for the Atlanta Falcons, has risen through the coaching ranks since his days training strength and condition at the University of Georgia. He latched on as a running backs coach for the Rams in 2020 before being promoted as an assistant head coach in their 2021 Super Bowl season.

The 35-year-old coach obviously has a clear connection with incoming Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, who is expected to be introduced on Thursday.

There was talk of Wes Phillips, son of former longtime NFL coach Wade Phillips, potentially joining the team as an offensive coordinator, but his role, if there is one, hasn’t been confirmed yet.

But as of right now, considering the timing of this interview, this could be Brown’s job to lose.

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Vikings interviewing Rams’ Thomas Brown for offensive coordinator job

The Vikings are interviewing Thomas Brown for their offensive coordinator job on Kevin O’Connell’s staff

It was already known that Kevin O’Connell is going to be leaving the Los Angeles Rams to become the next head coach of the Minnesota Vikings after the Super Bowl. But with O’Connell making his way to Minnesota, he could potentially bring a familiar face with him to be his offensive coordinator.

Amid the celebratory festivities for the Rams following their Super Bowl victory, there are reports that the Vikings plan on interviewing Thomas Brown for their offensive coordinator position.

Brown joined the Rams as the team’s running backs coach in 2020, immediately becoming a well-respected assistant on Sean McVay’s coaching staff. Besides remaining as the running backs coach in 2021, Brown was also given the title of assistant head coach this season.

Even though he doesn’t have much experience outside of being a running backs coach, Brown interviewed for the head coaching position for the Miami Dolphins. Mike McDaniel, the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, has since been named the head coach of the Dolphins.

The expectation is for O’Connell to officially be named the head coach of the Vikings later this week. It’s not unusual for new head coaches to try and bring someone from their previous team to be an assistant for them to add some familiarity to their coaching staff.

While O’Connell seems to want Brown in Minnesota with him, Brown is also expected to be a candidate to replace O’Connell as the offensive coordinator in Los Angeles. Losing assistant coaches has been a common theme for the Rams since McVay arrived as his coaching tree has had plenty of success thus far.

Despite the chances of him getting a promotion from either team, it will be interesting to see if Brown chooses to remain with the Rams or join O’Connell’s staff on the Vikings.

Ranking the Dolphins head coaching candidates

Who is the best option of the seven candidates?

Since the Miami Dolphins fired head coach Brian Flores on the Monday following the end of the regular season, they’ve been searching for the next option to take up that role.

This week, the Dolphins are interviewing seven assistants from around the league to fill that void with varying levels of experience. Some have been head coaches before and others have years of assistant coaching under their belts.

With the knowledge we have about Miami wanting their next coach to be invested in Tua Tagovailoa as the quarterback, it’s obvious that some of these men would be a better fit over the others.

Here are the rankings of the Dolphins’ seven head coaching candidates:

Here’s the Dolphins head coach interview schedule this week

All seven known candidates will be interviewed by the end of the week.

Since the Miami Dolphins fired head coach Brian Flores on the Monday following their Week 18 victory over the New England Patriots, they’ve conducted their search for the team’s next coach.

To this point, the interview requests that have been reported are with the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Bills defensive coordinators Leslie Frazier, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, and Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach/running backs coach Thomas Brown.

We now know when these interviews will take place, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. On Wednesday, the Dolphins are set to interview McDaniel. They have Quinn and Moore on Thursday. Joseph and Brown will interview on Friday.

Daboll and Frazier both interviewed this past Sunday, so that takes care of all of the current coaches that have been requested. If there are no surprises, the Dolphins could have this search wrapped up soon.

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