Rams rumored to interview seasoned veteran positional coach. Here's what we know:

The LA Rams search to fill a number of coaching vacancies continues, While we may not be getting reports from sources on each and every interview, we will highlight the candidates that do surface, and will try to share enough details about them to give you a reasonable and objective means to form your own opinion.

The Rams have lost an extensive array of promising young coaches, each of which were pre-welcomed back by Head Coach Sean McVay. But loyalties can multiply, and a chance for promotion is not ignored easily in the NFL. Decline for the wrong fit or the wrong timing, and a rising star among NFL coaches could be branded as someone who is not ready for the next level.

One of the most attractive qualities of joining Coach McVay's staff is the fact that it is a logical next step for those coaches who do seek promotion and advancement quickly among the ranks. It is that 'up and out' that has led us to this point in time. Which is?

Well, the 'Now hiring' sign is up in the office window once more. While the team has filled the DC and DL positions, there are many more to go, and that is what this article is about.

The latest report concerns the team's interview to fill their vacated LB coach position. Per CBS NFL Insider Jonathan Jones, the team has conducted an interview with Green Bay Packers Defensive Backs Coordinator Greg Williams. So what can we tell you about him?

For starters, the Green Bay Packers have a new defensive coordinator, Jeff Haffle,y, who has dismissed both Greg Williams and Kirk Olivadotti from the staff. So what tidbits can we share about Greg Williams?

What should you know about LB Coach candidate Greg Williams?

1. I: He is not to be confused with Gregg Williams
2. II: He coached under former Rams LB Coach Joe Barry
3. III: He has extensive coaching experience, much of it in NFC West
4. IV: While a LB Coach, he has extensive background in coaching pass defenses too
5. V: He has coached some NFL stars
6. Vi: He got his coaching start at the YMCA

I: He is not to be confused with Gregg Williams

While their names are nearly identical, Greg Williams is much different than Gregg Williams, and the easiest way to distinguish between the two is that Greg Williams never coached for the New Orleans Saints, while Gregg Williams will forever be tied to the New Orleans Saints and Bountygate. If you don't recognize that event, Gregg Williams was hired on by the Rams in 2012, but that was hard halted due to his involvement in the New Orleans Saints paying bounties to players to take out opposing players.

Gregg Williams was reinstated by the NFL in 2013, and eventually did hire on with the Rams to serve as Defensive Coordinator under HC Jeff Fisher from 2014-2016. His latest role was defensive coordinator for the D.C. Defenders, an XFL team.

II: He coached under former Rams LB Coach Joe Barry

While some had speculated that the Packers release of DC Joe Barry may have paved the way for his return to the team's coaching staff, Greg Williams can accomplish nearly the same thing. Williams has 15 years of diverse NFL coaching experience, and has worked with both linebackers and defensive backs over that span of time.

While he joined Barry on the Packers coaching staff for one season, he certainly had enough time to glean some insight and defensive philosophy from Barry. Perhaps that is why he is on the shortlist for interviews. After all, if you wanted a younger version of Joe Barry, he checks that box instantly. After all, he was Barry's Assistant Linebacker Coach with the San Diego Chargers (2012-2014).

III: He has extensive coaching experience, much of it in NFC West

Greg Williams coached the Arizona Cardinals defensive backs for four seasons, from 2019 through 2022. Not only is that four years of facing NFC West teams, but it was one of the most recent chapters in his coaching career. That is always a solid quality for any coach, as it ensures that they have a firm understanding of opposing teams and their players.

His 15 years of NFL coaching has included the San Diego Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, and finally Green Bay Packers. Over that time, his team has appeared in the NFL Playoffs four different times. Not only does he have coaching experience, but he has postseason coaching experience as well.

IV: While a LB Coach, he has extensive background in coaching pass defenses too

He began his NFL coaching career as an assistant linebacker coach for the San Diego Chargers from 2009 through 2012. Since that time, he has been working with defensive backs and defending the pass for the past 11 seasons. He helped to lead the Chargers secondary (214.2 yards per game) to be listed among the NFL's Top 5 pass defenses in 2014.

Perhaps it's that comprehension of defending passes that makes him ideally suited to be considered for the team's LB Coach position. The Rams clearly need to up their game in terms of secondary, and Coach Williams expertise can go a long way in that area with the Rams linebackers. After all, who better to counter offenses and their attempts to isolate OLB Michael Hoecht in coverage on a wide receiver than a linebacker coach who has vast DB coaching experience?

V: He has coached some NFL stars

You may be shocked to learn that Coach Williams coached former Rams DB Eric Weddle when they were on the San Diego Chargers, and helped coach Weddle to two consecutive seasons that resulted in Pro Bowl honors. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Coach Williams worked with Cardinals star DB Patrick Peterson and Dre Kirkpatrick.

While is appears that the Rams will not be harnessing Coach Williams in overseeing the secondary directly, it does create the potential for positive synergy when drawing up defensive schemes. And it could most definitely be viewed as a strong positive on the coaching staff to have a coach whos background intersects both linebackers and defensive backs, much like the team's new DC, Chris Shula.

Vi: He got his coaching start at the YMCA

Sometimes the best aspects of any coaching career are the stories that reveal what prompted that coach to undertake that profession in the first place. The career of Coach Greg Williams is quite fun to read. He resided in Arizona in the early 2000s when he noticed a YMCA track under his windshield wiper. That flyer sought adults to try their hand at coaching boys. And so, Greg Williams tried his hand:

"I was like - I have got nothing to do.- I went over there and coached a 9-, 10- and 11-year-old basketball team at the Y(MCA) in Tempe, Arizona. After I did that, I said- I found what I wanted to do. I still have the plaque of the team picture at home."

Greg Williams

That taste of coaching was all that was needed. By 2003, he was a coaching intern at Arizona State University. He rose through the college coaching ranks up to and including 2008 as a graduate assistant coach with the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.