The Los Angeles Rams have moved on from Wade Phillips, opting not to retain the defensive coordinator for the 2020 season. It’s a somewhat surprising move, but considering his contract was expiring anyway, it doesn’t come as a complete stunner.
With Phillips out, the Rams now must find his replacement. Other teams across the NFL are also assembling their coaching staffs and looking for replacements of their own, so Los Angeles will need to act fast to get the guy it wants.
Or, the Rams could simply promote from within and elevate a current coach on the staff. Two coaches on McVay’s staff appear to be the lead candidates to replace Phillips, but five other outside coaches could be in the mix, too.
Here are the top seven candidates to become the Rams’ next defensive coordinator.
Joe Barry, Rams LBs coach
Barry should be considered one of the frontrunners for the vacancy, given his history with Sean McVay. He worked with McVay in Washington as the defensive coordinator in 2015 and 2016, following the young head coach to Los Angeles as the Rams’ linebackers coach.
Barry also serves as the assistant head coach, which gives him a leg-up on the rest of the competition. He’s helped develop Cory Littleton into one of the best linebackers in football, worked with Dante Fowler Jr. and the Rams’ other young pass rushers and oversaw a Redskins defense that featured Ryan Kerrigan at outside linebacker.
He’s an obvious candidate for the job.
Aubrey Pleasant, Rams CBs coach
Pleasant is another contender to replace Phillips as the defensive coordinator. Just as Barry did, Pleasant followed McVay to the Rams after previously working on the Redskins’ staff from 2013-2016. He started on the offensive side of the ball in 2013 before switching to defense, eventually becoming the cornerbacks coach with the Rams in 2017.
Pleasant is a coach the players respond well to, frequently speaking highly of him in interviews. McVay has done the same with regards to Pleasant, complimenting him for the job he’s done with the Rams’ young defensive backs.
With the Rams transitioning to a new cornerback unit in 2020, led by Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill, Nickell Robey-Coleman and David Long Jr., presumably, it’s easy to see why Pleasant might be in consideration.
Kris Richard, Cowboys DBs coach
Richard hasn’t officially been fired by the Cowboys, but he’s already exploring other opportunities and figures to be out with Mike McCarthy coming in. Richard is someone the Rams and fans should be familiar with, given the work he did in Seattle as the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator.
A defensive backs specialist, Richard has a lengthy track record of success working with secondary players. He’d be a worthwhile addition to a defense that features Ramsey, John Johnson and Taylor Rapp, ideally making the most of their potential.
Richard is a fiery coach who’s often seen yelling on the sideline, which would be a stark contrast from the approach Phillips took. Perhaps that’s something McVay is looking for.
Marvin Lewis, former Bengals coach
Lewis is a special advisor at Arizona State and seems comfortable in his current role. However, he’s at least open to coming back to the NFL, taking an interview with the Cowboys. Lewis catches a lot of flak for being a coach who can’t win in the playoffs, but as a defensive coordinator, he can still get the job done.
Lewis was the defensive coordinator of the dominant Ravens defense that won the Super Bowl in 2000 and helped Baltimore rank second in the NFL in points allowed three years in a row from 1999-2001. If McVay wants another experienced coach in the mold of Phillips, Lewis would make sense.
Perry Fewell, Panthers DBs coach/interim coach
Fewell has now been an interim head coach twice in his career, which says a lot about how he’s viewed by teams he works for. He was the defensive backs coach for the Panthers this season, and while Carolina struggled defensively, it lacked talent on that side of the ball.
Previously, Fewell was the Giants’ defensive coordinator from 2010-2014, helping New York finish in the top 10 defensively twice in that span. If he’s looking to potentially bolster his resume, a stop in Los Angeles wouldn’t be a bad move for Fewell.
Bret Bielema, Patriots DL coach
Bielema made the jump from college to the pros in 2018, working as a consultant to Bill Belichick initially. He was promoted to defensive line coach this past year and played a role in the Patriots’ dominance defensively in 2019. Bielema is still building a track record in the NFL, and while remaining in New England would seem like an obvious move for him, Belichick may not make him the defensive coordinator – at least not by title.
Joining the Rams as their defensive coordinator would be a step up for Bielema as he continues to improve his coaching resume.
Rod Marinelli, Cowboys DC
Like Richard, Marinelli has not yet been officially let go by the Cowboys. However, McCarthy may not keep him around, instead opting to bring in his own defensive staff with Mike Nolan as Dallas’ new defensive coordinator. Marinelli would be another veteran hire by McVay like Phillips was, having more than 20 years of experience coaching in the NFL and working with many of the best pass rushers and defensive linemen in the league.
It’s been a mixed bag for Marinelli in Dallas, but Marinelli’s resume speaks for itself. And if there’s one thing he can always do, it’s getting maximum effort out of his defensive players. That’s always a plus for a coach on defense because so much of the game comes down to effort and tackling.
