The Los Angeles Rams have a huge hole to fill on their coaching staff this offseason after Raheem Morris was hired as the Atlanta Falcons’ next head coach Thursday. This isn’t unfamiliar territory for Sean McVay, who’s hired two new defensive coordinators since 2020, but it isn’t a position he’ll enjoy being in.
Replacing Morris won’t be easy but McVay has an opportunity to find the next leader of his defense, whether it’s by promoting from within or looking at external candidates. Interestingly, McVay has never promoted an internal candidate to either of the coordinator positions, so it seems likely that he’ll hire someone who isn’t currently on the Rams’ staff to be his next defensive coordinator.
Here are 13 candidates to replace Morris this year.
1
Aubrey Pleasant, Rams DBs coach
McVay has never promoted from within for one of his coordinator positions, so it’s possible he’ll choose not to go that route with Pleasant. However, Pleasant is a deserving candidate who’s been on the same staff as McVay for years. The two worked together in Washington from 2012-2014 and then in Los Angeles from 2017-2020. Pleasant re-joined the Rams’ staff this year after two seasons with the Lions, working as the DBs coach/pass game coordinator for McVay.
His NFL coaching experience goes back to 2013 and while he’s never been a coordinator, he’s ready to take that next step.
2
Ejiro Evero, Panthers defensive coordinator
Evero joined the Rams’ coaching staff in 2017 when McVay was hired and stayed in L.A. until becoming the Broncos’ defensive coordinator in 2022 and then the Panthers’ DC in 2023. While Carolina has a new head coach in Dave Canales, the Panthers blocked the Jaguars’ request to interview Evero for their defensive coordinator position.
There’s a chance they’ll do the same if the Rams try to interview him, but it’s worth a shot. With the Rams, he coached the secondary and was the pass game coordinator.
3
Chris Shula, Rams LBs coach/pass rush coordinator
Shula is one of the few coaches who has remained with the Rams since being hired in 2017 and his role has evolved almost every year. He started as the assistant LBs coach in 2017 and 2018, then coached the outside linebackers for two years, then the linebackers in 2021 before moving to pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach in 2022. Last year, he was the pass rush coordinator and linebackers coach.
All that movement and experience should serve him well as he pursues a promotion to defensive coordinator, which the Rams should consider.
4
Jim Leonhard, Illinois senior analyst
Leonhard has gotten a few looks from NFL teams in recent years but he’s remained at the collegiate level. He went from being Wisconsin’s defensive backs coach in 2016 to defensive coordinator in 2017 to interim head coach in 2022. Last season, he was a senior analyst on Illinois’ coaching staff, but this might be the year he makes the jump to the NFL.
The Rams actually interviewed him in 2020 before hiring Brandon Staley as their defensive coordinator, so it’s possible McVay goes back to Leonhard this year.
5
Anthony Weaver, Ravens associate head coach/D-line coach
Weaver has mostly coached defensive linemen in the NFL, but he was also the Texans' defensive coordinator in 2020 before joining the Ravens in 2021. In Baltimore, he's been the defensive line coach for the last three years, earning the title of associate head coach in 2022, as well.
If McVay wants to bring some new wrinkles to his defense, hiring a coach who worked under Mike MacDonald is a good place to start.
6
Dennard Wilson, Ravens DBs coach
Wilson is another impressive candidate from the Ravens' coaching staff. Though he's only in his first year as Baltimore's defensive backs coach, he was the Eagles' defensive backs coach for two years and was also their pass game coordinator in 2022. The Eagles opted not to promote him to defensive coordinator in 2023 and they lost him to Baltimore, which hurt them significantly.
Wilson was on the Rams' coaching staff from 2012-2016, which was during Les Snead's tenure, so there could be some familiarity between the two.
7
Mike Vrabel, former Titans head coach
Vrabel could be left without a head coaching job this offseason after surprisingly being fired by the Titans. The question now is whether he would accept a defensive coordinator job. Many coaches in the past have gone from head coach to defensive coordinator, including Dan Quinn and Raheem Morris, so Vrabel could go that route, too.
It'd be a great hire by the Rams, but I’m not so sure Vrabel will be interested in a defensive coordinator job this year.
8
Jimmy Lake, Rams assistant head coach
Lake joined the Rams as their assistant head coach this year after a two-year stint as the Washington Huskies' head coach. He's been coaching at some level since 1999 and has primarily worked with defensive backs in the past. Though this was the first year he and McVay worked together, he could be a fit for their defensive coordinator position after being the assistant head coach last year.
9
Al Harris, Cowboys DBs coach
Harris has been the Cowboys' defensive backs coach since 2020 and though he hasn't received much interest from teams looking for defensive coordinators, he could be a candidate to follow Dan Quinn as his DC if he leaves Dallas.
The Cowboys have had some outstanding secondaries in the last few years and Harris has helped turn Trevon Diggs and Daron Bland into All-Pros.
10
Shane Bowen, Titans defensive coordinator
Bowen spent the last six years with the Titans, including the last three as Vrabel's defensive coordinator. Tennessee is looking for new defensive coordinators after firing Vrabel, so Bowen should be available. Getting a coach who worked under Vrabel would be a win for the Rams and Bowen is getting looks from other teams (Giants, Jaguars) already as a potential defensive coordinator for them.
11
Christian Parker, Broncos DBs coach
Parker remained on the Broncos' staff during the transition from Nathaniel Hackett to Sean Payton, which is a sign of how respected he is in that building. He's been the team's defensive backs coach for the last three years, so he has experience coaching under Evero -- a consolation if the Rams can't pry Evero from the Panthers.
The Patriots requested to interview Parker for their defensive coordinator position so they're giving him a look, and the Rams should do the same.
12
Brandon Staley, former Chargers head coach
Staley was the Rams' defensive coordinator for a year in 2020 when Los Angeles finished first in points allowed and first in yards allowed. That earned him a head coaching job with the Chargers after just one season, but he was fired this past season and has yet to be hired by another team.
Staley could be a candidate for the Dolphins' defensive coordinator job, but McVay might give him another look, too. The problem is, the Chargers' defense was awful under Staley the last three years when he was calling the plays, so that's hurt his resume and chances of landing another job.
13
Steve Belichick, Patriots OLBs coach
There's no chance Bill Belichick is going to be the Rams' next defensive coordinator despite the fact that he's unlikely to land a head coaching job, but maybe his son would be interested in joining McVay's staff. Steve Belichick has been calling the defense for years in New England so he has experience in that department, and having worked under one of the smartest people in football (his dad), he'd make a good defensive coordinator candidate.
Jerod Mayo has already offered him the chance to remain on New England's staff but if he wants to become a DC elsewhere, the Rams might be a fit. McVay has spoken highly of Bill Belichick countless times, too.
