Offensive Coordinator possibilities.

Rams likely won’t rush into new offensive coordinator hire

By Nick Wagoner | ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/

EARTH CITY, Mo. — As of late Wednesday afternoon, there wasn’t much to know about the St. Louis Rams’ now vacant offensive coordinator position.

We know that Brian Schottenheimer has taken the same position (with added quarterback coach responsibilities) at the University of Georgia. We know the Rams now have an opening. But we don’t know who will be next in line to take Schottenheimer’s place.

The one thing we do know, however, is that Rams coach Jeff Fisher probably won’t rush into any hire unless he decides to hire from within.

Jeff Fisher typically takes his time hiring new assistant coaches.”I think there’s always a list,” general manager Les Snead said Wednesday. “Jeff’s philosophy is always, ‘Hey, be patient, don’t rush into it.’ But it’s like anything. what’s the pool like? This is all happening. You’ll see the philosophy with Jeff is let’s be patient, let’s go through. I think that’s what you’ll see.”

That’s what we’ve seen from Fisher when the defensive coordinator job has popped up in each of the past two offseasons.

In 2013, Fisher fired Blake Williams, the de facto defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, on Jan. 2. From there, Fisher deliberately went through the interview process, spending time with the likes of Dick Jauron and Mike Singletary before he hired then-Detroit Lions defensive backs coach Tim Walton on Feb. 15.

Last year, Fisher appeared to be committed to keeping Walton, but after taking some time to go through his options and, most importantly, repair his relationship with Gregg Williams, he fired Walton on Jan. 29. It was quickly apparent that Gregg Williams would be the new defensive coordinator, but Fisher didn’t even make that official for another two weeks.

In this case, Schottenheimer’s departure doesn’t come at the behest of Fisher. At Fisher’s end-of-season news conference, he was asked what he thought of Schottenheimer’s performance. To the chagrin of many Rams fans, Fisher offered an enthusiastic endorsement.

“I think Brian is an outstanding playcaller,” Fisher said. “He’s very organized. He’s an excellent teacher. You can’t put the record on his shoulders. That’d be very, very unfair.”

That endorsement followed another underwhelming performance from a Rams offense that regularly forced the defense to play almost perfect football just to have a chance. The Rams finished 28th in yards per game, 20th in rushing yards, 23rd in passing yards and 23rd in points per game in 2014.

That effort wasn’t much of an upgrade over his previous two seasons in charge. In 2013, the Rams were 30th in yards per game, 19th in rushing yards per game, 27th in passing yards per game and 22nd in points per game. In 2012, the Rams ranked 23rd, 19th, 18th and 28th in those respective categories.

Of course, Schottenheimer had his share of challenges along the way, including the repeated loss of starting quarterback Sam Bradford, several injuries along the offensive line and a big injury this season to receiver Brian Quick. And it’s also important to remember that Schottenheimer coached for Fisher, and much of the conservative approach falls in line with what Fisher prefers.

Nonetheless, the Rams offense regularly struggled to find ways to use Tavon Austin in the offense and the team’s inability to make adjustments at halftime repeatedly put the Rams behind the eight ball on offense in the final 30 minutes of games.

The Rams offense averaged a feeble 2.6 points in the third quarter of games this season, which ranked 30th in the NFL. They weren’t much better in the fourth quarter, either, posting 4.8 points per game in the final 15 minutes, which was tied for 24th in the league.

As for possible replacements, there are many former head coaches with offensive backgrounds who could be appealing. That list includes former Bears coach Marc Trestman, former Browns coach Rob Chudzinski and in-limbo Niners coordinator Greg Roman. If Fisher decides to stay in house, one name to remember is current tight ends coach Rob Boras.

No matter the ultimate decision, Fisher’s history would indicate two things: He won’t be looking to turn the offense in a drastically different direction and we won’t get an answer in the immediate future.

My guess is that Frank Cignetti will be named the new Rams OC. He is currently the QB coach, and I have a hard time seeing Fisher not staying in house.

Agamemnon wrote:

Oklahoma co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel has been let go, according to a source.

A formal announcement is expected by Sooners coach Bob Stoops during a press conference later Tuesday morning. The move marks the end of one of the most successful offensive periods for the Sooners.

The 36-year-old has been Oklahoma’s play-caller since 2011 when he was promoted from quarterbacks coach.

http://www.si.com/college-football/2015/01/06/josh-heupel-oklahoma-sooners-co-offensive-coordinator

Heupel became the quarterbacks coach for Oklahoma in 2005; among his notable accomplishments in that capacity was coaching Sooner quarterback Sam Bradford, who won the 2008 Heisman Trophy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Heupel

<span class=”d4pbbc-font-color” style=”color: blue”>This is a guy that Bradford trusts. He might be on the Rams staff next year.</span>

interesting. possibly as oc or qb coach?

Well it would not surprise me if he did hire Mike Shanahan if he doesn’t get one of the HC positions.

They’re good buddies.

I can see it.

Print and Go Back ESPN.com: St. Louis Rams [Print without images]

Thursday, January 8, 2015
Sorting through Rams’ potential offensive coordinator candidates
By Nick Wagoner

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams are one of nearly 10 teams in need of a new offensive coordinator.

Should coach Jeff Fisher decide to go outside the organization for help, he figures to have plenty of competition for the best coordinators on the market.

The Rams could be a tougher sell given the combination of an uncertain quarterback situation, an offensive line in desperate need of repair and the franchise’s potential relocation after the season. Adding to that, Fisher and Co. are entering a fourth season in which the heat is only going to increase on their seat should things go awry again, which could mean whoever the coordinator is may not be around for long.

With all of that in mind, here’s a look at some of the names that are available and what might or might not be realistic for the Rams:

Staying in house

Tight ends coach Rob Boras: There are others on the current staff with more experience in the league and more experience as a coordinator, but Boras is the one many around the league think has the brightest future as a play caller. In fact, had Vanderbilt hired Brian Schottenheimer as its head coach last year, it’s all but certain the Rams were going to promote Boras to coordinator. Boras has been in the NFL for 11 years, all as an assistant, but did spend three years as offensive coordinator at UNLV. Boras knows the system, he knows Fisher and he knows the personnel. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he got the job.

Ties to Fisher

Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan has all the qualities Jeff Fisher seeks in a coordinator, but the Browns’ former playcaller isn’t short on options.
Kyle Shanahan: The news just came Thursday that Shanahan and the Cleveland Browns are parting ways. Shanahan is the son of Mike Shanahan, who is one of Fisher’s closest friends in the business. Shanahan is considered one of the game’s bright young minds and, like Schottenheimer, comes from the strong NFL bloodlines that Fisher seems to prefer. But Shanahan will have no shortage of options. He’s interviewing for the head coach job in Buffalo, has been tied to the opening in San Francisco and has drawn interest as the possible coordinator in New York should Dan Quinn get that job. He’s one to watch but might be out of the Rams’ reach.

Dowell Loggains: Like Shanahan, Loggains parted ways Thursday with the Browns and also has a longstanding relationship with Fisher. Loggains served as offensive quality control coach for Fisher’s Tennessee Titans for two years and one as his quarterbacks coach. He then was offensive coordinator in Tennessee for the next name on this list. These ties don’t run as deep and Loggains’ tenure as offensive coordinator wasn’t all that successful, but he’s still young. It seems unlikely Fisher would go this direction but it can’t be ruled out.

Mike Munchak: You’d be hard pressed to find someone with a longer relationship with Fisher than Munchak. The pair worked together in Houston/Tennessee from 1993 to Fisher’s departure after the 2010 season. Munchak was Fisher’s offensive line coach for most of that time before replacing Fisher as head coach in 2011. Munchak is now the offensive line coach in Pittsburgh so the Rams would need to seek permission to interview him, but there’s no denying that he would fit philosophically and personally.

The known commodities

Marc Trestman: The now former Bears head coach brings plenty of sizzle and is known for his aerial attack. He’s been a coordinator four times and was the primary play caller in Chicago and in his time in the CFL. His history and creativity would make him appealing, but it’s fair to wonder whether his style is a match for what Fisher wants to be offensively.

Greg Roman: The in-limbo coordinator in San Francisco would make a lot of sense for the Rams philosophically. He’s guided one of the league’s best rushing attacks with the 49ers and knows the landscape of the NFC West division quite well. It’s hard to know what his next move is but he’s drawn interest for Buffalo’s head coaching spot as well as coordinator gigs in Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. Fisher clearly knows him from playing against him and this would be a logical fit should the Rams go outside the organization and people with close ties to the head coach.

Rob Chudzinski: Similar to Trestman, Chudzinski is known for being a creative, intelligent offensive mind. He’s currently a special assistant in Indianapolis but has experience as a coordinator. The Rams actually interviewed him for their head coaching job in 2012 while awaiting word from Fisher. For what it’s worth, the Rams really liked Chudzinski at the time but clearly it’s Fisher making the ultimate call here.

Others to note

Greg Olson, Marty Mornhinweg: Recently deposed coordinators in Oakland and New York, respectively. Olson has been the Rams’ coordinator before under Scott Linehan and did a good job before Linehan undercut his play-calling duties. Mornhinweg is a West Coast disciple who could fall in line with what Fisher wants offensively.

Wouldn’t it be fun?

Mike Martz: Yes, yes it would.

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/15280/sorting-through-offensive-coordinator-candidates

if he really is an up and comer, i want boras. he knows the personnel. there’d be a smoother transition. yeah. that makes sense to me.

nittany ram wrote:

Yeah, I agree. I think Schotty was under-appreciated. He was a good coach. Note how the Rams offense often got off to a quick start. For example they ranked among the best in the league at scoring on their first possession. I think that speaks to Schotty’s understanding of how to dissect and attack a defense. However, despite adjustments, in the second half they would begin to fade. The third string QB, the reshuffled o-line, the lack of experience and inconsistency at receiver – eventually that will catch up with you. Especially when you are facing the murderers’ row of defenses the Rams faced…Seattle, San Fran, Arizona, etc…

Yes, it’s more like once the defense figured the offense out, the Rams had only so many counters, especially after the Chiefs game, which is the game where their OL got all banged up to hell.