Everything you need to know about new Rams DL coach Giff Smith

He was the Chargers DL Coach for Asst DL Coach Henderson

The LA Rams lost one of the best, if not the best, DL Coaches in the NFL when Coach Eric Henderson accepted a job with nearby USC to coach defensive linemen for the USC Trojans. So how can the Rams find someone to take over for Coach Henny? Well, one strategy is to hire the guy who brought Couch Henderson along.

That just happens to be Coach Giff Smith

The LA Rams, urged on by All-Pro DL Aaron Donald, urged the Rams to hire the Los Angeles Chargers Assistant DL Coach Eric Henderson in 2019. Coach Henny was the assistant DL Coach for the Chargers from 2017-2018. the DL Coach at that time? Coach Giff Smith.

It's no surprise that the same toughness and gritty philosophy that made Coach Henny so effective and popular with the Rams players and fans seems to be part of the genetic makeup of Coach Smith as well. It's not an optical illusion, nor is it your mind playing tricks on you, Coach Henny learned the tricks of the trade by working with Coach Smith for two years before taking on the mantle of DL Coach for the Rams.

What better way to replicate the effectiveness of Eric Henderson to hire his mentor? Not only do the Rams add a coach with the same mental toughness, but the strategy can also prove to be incredibly effective in developing younger coaches as well.