The Los Angeles Rams’ coaching staff will have a new look this year after the team parted ways with several assistants and lost others to opportunities with teams across the NFL. Sean McVay is still back as the head coach and Raheem Morris is returning as the defensive coordinator, but it’s a group of new names in L.A.
With the Rams finalizing their coaching staff this week, get to know the newcomers with one fact about each.
Jimmy Lake, assistant head coach
He worked under Raheem Morris with the Bucs in 2010 and 2011
Lake coached at the college level from 2012-2021, spending time briefly at Boise State before working his way up the ranks at Washington and eventually becoming the head coach in 2020. But before he was at Boise, he was the Buccaneers’ defensive backs coach under Morris, who at the time was the head coach in Tampa Bay. So there’s some familiarity between these two defensive coaches.
Mike LaFleur, offensive coordinator
He’s a branch off of Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tree
LaFleur was an offensive assistant with the Falcons from 2015-2016 when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator and then worked as the 49ers’ passing game coordinator four years after Shanahan was hired as their head coach.
Andrew Carter, assistant D-line coach
He’s only coached in the NFL for one year
Carter got his first opportunity in the NFL last year when he was a defensive quality control coach with the Broncos. Previously, he was a graduate assistant at the University of Kansas before the Broncos gave him a shot.
Joe Coniglio, OLBs coach
He coached the OLBs at Navy for 2 years
Coniglio was poised to be promoted to special teams coordinator this year before the Rams swooped in and hired him as their outside linebackers coach, which is the same role he held at Navy the two years prior.
Mike Harris, defensive assistant
He’s coached RBs, WRs and TEs in college
Harris has experience coaching both sides of the ball. Not only was he an offensive assistant with the Bears for three years before joining John Carroll University in 2022, but he coached wide receivers, tight ends and running backs previously in college at Wilkes University and Muhlenberg University.
Aubrey Pleasant, DBs coach/pass game coordinator
This is his 2nd stint with the Rams after leaving in 2021
Pleasant is a familiar name for fans because this will be his second stint with the team. He joined the Rams in 2017 when Sean McVay was hired, coaching the cornerbacks for five years. He left in 2021 to become the Lions’ DBs coach and pass game coordinator, but he was fired in 2022. Late last season, he joined the Packers as an offensive consultant but has made his way back to L.A.
Nick Caley, TEs coach
He coached Gronk and the Patriots’ TEs from 2017-2022
Caley was the Patriots’ tight ends coach for six seasons, which included two years with Rob Gronkowski atop the depth chart. Gronk was an All-Pro in 2017 and though he missed time in 2018 due to injury, he helped lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl win over none other than the Rams.
Ryan Wendell, O-line coach
He played 9 years in the NFL
Speaking of the Patriots, Wendell played eight years with New England as an offensive lineman. He finished his career in 2016 with the Panthers and eventually joined the coaching ranks in 2019 as the Bills’ assistant offensive line coach, spending the last four years there.
Ron Gould, RBs coach
He coached Marshawn Lynch and Jahvid Best at Cal
Gould is a well-regarded coach who has been in this business since 1990. He began coaching running backs in 1997 at Cal, holding that position for 11 years – during which he coached Lynch and Best, as well as Bryce Love at Stanford.
Chase Blackburn, special teams coordinator
He won 2 Super Bowls as a linebacker with the Giants
Blackburn was a linebacker with the Giants for eight years from 2005-2012, retiring as a member of the Panthers after a two-year stint from 2013-2014. During his time with the Giants, he won two Super Bowls, beating the Patriots both times.
