Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Kotwica, new STs coordinator
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December 22, 2025 at 9:39 am #160488
znModeratorTwo terrible punts by Ethan Evans, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and a 48-yard miss by Harrison Mevis played major roles in the Rams’ fourth-quarter collapse, and it seems McVay had seen enough.
As for who will step into Blackburn’s role, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that assistant special teams coach Ben Kotwica is taking over. Kotwica is the only special teams coach listed on the Rams’ site, so it’s not as if they have another option.
Kotwica, 51, is an experienced coach who’s in his first year with the Rams. He probably didn’t expect to get promoted to the lead position during Year 1 in Los Angeles but he’ll now be tasked with improving a struggling special teams unit that has directly cost the Rams two of their four wins.
He has 17 years of experience in the NFL, most recently serving as the Broncos’ special teams coordinator for the last two years. According to Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings, the Broncos finished seventh in 2023 under Kotwica and fourth in 2024 in Bill Huber’s rankings.
The Rams have ranked near the bottom of the league far too often since John Fassel left, with Los Angeles most notably struggling to find much consistency at kicker following Matt Gay’s departure.
Kotwica’s first stint as a head special teams coach was in 2013 with the Jets, holding that position for just one year. He crossed paths with McVay in Washington as the special teams coach there from 2014-2018 but had stops with four different programs, including Army in 2021 as the director of player development, before reconnecting with McVay this year.
He was the Falcons’ special teams coordinator from 2019-2020 and the Vikings’ assistant special teams coach in 2022 before landing with the Broncos in 2023.
Last season under Kotwica, the Broncos ranked top 10 in punt return average, field goal percentage, net yards per punt and opponent punt return average.
According to his bio on the Rams’ site, he spent eight years in the U.S. Army after graduating from West Point.
His military career includes operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Korea, and Iraq. Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Aviation Branch of the Army, Kotwica was selected to fly the AH-64 Apache Longbow, the world’s top attack helicopter. He was an Attack Helicopter Platoon Leader in support of the 82nd Airborne Division from 1998-2001, where he was responsible for the health and welfare of 20 soldiers.
The Rams will search for a full-time special teams coordinator in the offseason but if Kotwica impresses in the final two weeks and the playoffs, it could be his job to lose.
December 22, 2025 at 9:43 am #160493znModeratorI moved some stuff from the old “Blackburn fired” thread to this thread.
Here:
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Ben Kotwica. He’s been coaching special teams in the league since 2007. Has coached for Washington, Atlanta, Minnesota, and Denver. Rams hired him in 2025.
HoldenCantor@HoldenCantor
Ben Kotwica will take over as the Rams special teams coordinator. Kotwica was let go from Denver last season but The Broncos special teams unit finished in the Top 10 in several categories:
10th in Net Punting Average (42.2)
1st in Punt Return Average (15.7)
10th in Punt Return Average Against (8.7)
6th in Field Goal Percentage (91.2%)***
Here’s what I think prompted this. No question the Rams had issues on STs. But why fire Blackburn now? IMO, it’s because they have a unique window to review and improve the situation. They are following a Thurs. night game with a Monday night game. That’s 11 days. It’s like a kind of bye week. The McV Rams have long since used the bye to fix or re-invent areas that are underperforming. So now’s the time to promote an experienced vetern ST coach–a new ST coordinator who also knows the team–get him to review the entire STs program, and make whatever changes in the scheme or execution that need it.
Odds are they will be looking over the defense too, just not with a new coordinator.
Don’t know what they will do about the offense though–that situation seems hopelessly unfixable.
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December 23, 2025 at 12:03 am #160503znModeratorStu Jackson@StuJRams
McVay says that person joining Kotwica will be Matt Harper, who has been an assistant special teams coach with the Eagles and the NinersDecember 26, 2025 at 5:52 pm #160578znModerator– For Rams interim special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, the only thing that really changes this week is simply his title.
Otherwise, the man who began the season as assistant special teams coordinator remains focused on the same task: Ensuring the necessary corrections are made to the phase he’s responsible for, on a team with championship aspirations.
“It’s been good,” Kotwica said, when asked what the last week has been like for him. “Just love the way that our guys are focused on the task at hand. I’ve been doing this for a long time. So what I really like is our intentionality, and really excited to be part of a championship football team and our group’s ready to contribute to that.”
Currently in his 18th year coaching in the NFL, Kotwica was elevated to his role after the Rams parted ways with Chase Blackburn last Friday, giving him some extra time to prepare over a “mini” bye weekend after Los Angeles played on Thursday Night Football.
L.A. brought on Matt Harper to assist Kotwica, someone Kotwica has known for a long time going back to their days coaching in the NFC East with the Commanders and Eagles, respectively.
“He’s jumped right in and tackled the tasks that we’ve asked him to, so that with the meetings and the walk throughs and the practice,” Kotwica said. “So that extra time allows us a little bit of space, but we’ll be ready to rock and roll Monday night.”
December 27, 2025 at 9:54 am #160580
joemadParticipant“””””Kotwica, 51, is an experienced coach who’s in his first year with the Rams. He probably didn’t expect to get promoted to the lead position during Year 1 in Los Angeles but he’ll now be tasked with improving a struggling special teams unit that has directly cost the Rams two of their four wins.””””””
I think that’s two typos… ST DIRECTLY COST THREE, (NOT TWO), OF THEIR FOUR LOSSES, (NOT WINS).
ST blew it in Philly, at home vs SF, and gave it away in Seattle…
January 1, 2026 at 8:25 am #160690znModeratorfrom Kotwica’s resume on wiki:
Washington Redskins (2014–2018)
Special teams coordinatorAnd of course, McVay was the offensive coordinator in Washington from 2014-2016.
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