About those LA Rams seven new coordinators and coaches…

At the end of the 2020 NFL season, it was clear that changes were afoot. The Rams improved from 9-7 in 2019 to 10-6 in 2020. But in the process of getting better, it felt as though the LA Rams had lost ground as well. Well, it didn’t take long for some changes to shake up the LA Rams organization, and it began with the coaching staff.

A little bit of that happens each year. A coach hires on for a promotion with another team? A positional coach whose group did not meet expectations? But the LA Rams seemed to make wholesale changes at the end of the year.

A graph appeared on the screen during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. the LA Rams, touting the coaching changes among the Rams. The fact is that the LA Rams coaching staff was cannibalized in the offseason, forcing the Rams to hire seven new coaches to the team. So that became the motivation for this article. Who did the Rams lose? Who did the Rams hire to fill the void?

Coaches who moved on from the LA Rams

Defensive Coordinator Brandon Staley – Head coach of LA Chargers
Assistant QB Coach Liam Coen – Offensive Coordinator University of Kentucky
Linebackers Coach Joe Barry – Defensive Coordinator Green Bay Packers
Pass Game Coordinator Shane Waldron – Offensive Coordinator Seattle Seahawks
Cornerbacks Coach Aubrey Pleasant – Secondary Coach Detroit Lions
Offensive Line Coach Aaron Kromer – parted ways
ST Coordinator John Bonamego – Sr. Coaching Assistant

Who hired on or stepped up in their place?

Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris
Assistant QB Coach Zac Robinson
Linebackers Coach Chris Shula
Pass Game Coordinator Wes Phillips
Secondary Coach Ejiro Evero- (Promoted from Safeties Coach)
Offensive Line Coach Kevin Carberry
ST Coordinator Joe DeCamillis

It’s too soon to tell if these changes are responsible for any significant or long-term improvements with the team. But we do know that positive changes take time. So far, the Rams do not appear to be worse for the wear.

Some changes were not seamless. The Rams’ defensive scheme and philosophy will take time for the players to adapt to. Special teams had fallen into a bit of disarray, so the coverage and return teams will take time to improve.

The LA Rams will face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4, and both teams enter the game undefeated so far. But just as this is not the same Arizona Cardinals team, this is by no means the same LA Rams team. And that is not just referring to new players on the roster. The LA Rams have not only retooled their roster but a majority of the coaching staff this year.

In the end, coaching makes the difference.