Sean McVay is currently conducting interviews for his fourth defensive coordinator, ahead of his eighth season as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. While Raheem Morris is a big loss from all angles—schematic, leadership, and character—the stakes seem lesser this time around.
McVay’s original allure to the Rams stemmed from his comfort with hiring Wade Phillips, a seasoned defensive coordinator who is widely regarded as one of the best in NFL history. It takes confidence for a first-time head coach—and one who was among the youngest to ever enter the ranks—to choose as an assistant someone who was potentially his senior in every manner. It was one of the first indications we had of McVay’s advanced staff building abilities and sound judgement of talent and character.
However, because McVay was so young, he was practically learning on the fly, and following the 2019 season, he sought out his schematic equal on the defensive side of the ball. He chose Brandon Staley, who had worked with Vic Fangio with the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears. McVay sought this defensive style of play because it perplexed him during the 2018 Super Bowl and earlier that year, when the Rams had little offensive productivity against Fangio’s Bears. This hire resulted in changes on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, yet it may have contributed to the feud between McVay and then-quarterback Jared Goff.
However, because McVay was so young, he was practically learning on the fly, and following the 2019 season, he sought out his schematic equal on the defensive side of the ball. He chose Brandon Staley, who had worked with Vic Fangio with the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears. McVay sought this defensive style of play because it perplexed him during the 2018 Super Bowl and earlier that year, when the Rams had little offensive productivity against Fangio’s Bears. This hire resulted in changes on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, yet it may have contributed to the feud between McVay and then-quarterback Jared Goff.
Staley lasted only one season before being hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Raheem Morris took over to carry on Staley’s scheme, but with his own stamp, despite the fact that Morris had no ties to this coaching tree. While Morris took over the NFL’s top-rated defence, he helped it grow into a world championship team before defying all odds and stringing together a respectable defence with primarily rookies and unheralded players in 2023 to make the playoffs.
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