Like Shanahan, Rams coach Sean McVay has a track record of putting former assistants into head coaching jobs. O’Connell, Matt LaFleur, and Zac Taylor are among the members of the McVay coaching tree who are now veteran head coaches themselves.
This offseason, Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur was hired to be Arizona’s head coach.
With LaFleur departing, passing-game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase was promoted to offensive coordinator, though he also received some head coaching interest. The 35-year-old had interviews with the Ravens, Steelers, Raiders, Browns, and Buffalo Bills before taking a promotion in L.A.
There’s a good chance Scheelhaase’s tenure as the Rams’ OC will be brief. He helped oversee the league’s top-ranked passing attack, top-ranked overall offense, and top-ranked scoring unit this past season. He also helped quarterback Matthew Stafford earn league MVP honors.
If Los Angeles’ offense has similar success in 2026, Scheelhaase is likely to draw even more interest than he did this offseason, due in large part to another year of experience under McVay—Scheelhaase is only entering his third season with the Rams.
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah reported on the 40s and Free Agents podcast (h/t NFL.com’s Grant Gordon) that Scheelhaase impressed in interviews and that his lack of experience was viewed as his only real negative.