The Los Angeles Rams have found their replacement for Wade Phillips at defensive coordinator. They’re hiring 37-year-old Brandon Staley to take over the role, which is quite the change in age.
This will be Staley’s first stint as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, but he doesn’t lack coaching experience.
Here are four things to know about the Rams’ new DC.
He’s an understudy of Vic Fangio
Staley has worked under one of the better defensive minds in the league for the last three years. He began his career with the Bears as their outside linebackers coach, working alongside Fangio, who was Chicago’s defensive coordinator when Staley got his start in 2017. He remained on the staff in 2018 when Matt Nagy took over for John Fox, keeping the same position.
In 2019, when Fangio was hired as the Broncos’ head coach, he followed him to Denver and became their outside linebackers coach there, too. In Denver, Staley worked with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb before the rookie got injured.
He’s only been an outside linebackers coach in the NFL
Staley has no experience as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, having been in the league for only three years. However, during that time, he’s worked with some quality outside linebackers. Though the Bears had an underwhelming group of players at outside linebacker in 2017, Khalil Mack arrived in 2018.
That year, Mack made a push for Defensive Player of the Year with 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and 18 QB hits. Staley also worked with Leonard Floyd, who had four sacks and 11 QB hits in 2018, along with a career-high nine tackles for loss.
Staley does have 15 years of coaching experience, having worked most of that time in college. He coached at John Carroll University, James Madison University and Tennessee, but got his start at Northern Illinois in 2006.
He’s a former college quarterback
Staley hasn’t always been a defensive mind. He played quarterback in college at Dayton, though he only got on the field one year (2004). That season, he threw for six touchdown passes and three interceptions with a completion rate of 54.8. His career high in passing yards came against Morehead State, throwing for 174 yards and one touchdown in a 28-0 win. He finished the year with 992 passing yards.
He’s only worked in a 3-4 scheme
There were some questions about whether the Rams would switch to a 4-3 defense after Wade Phillips was fired. They don’t exactly have the personnel to make that switch, and with Staley coming aboard, it seems unlikely to happen.
In three years as an outside linebackers coach with the Bears and Broncos, Staley has exclusively coached a 3-4 defense. That’s a good sign for the Rams, assuming they keep the defense they way it’s currently set up.
