The Los Angeles Rams have had to reshape their coaching staff in a significant way after Raheem Morris left to become the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and took several of Sean McVay’s assistant coaches with him. This opened the door for new faces both within and outside of the organization to get a chance, and L.A. may have landed their biggest coaching get of the offseason in John Streicher.
Streicher is a well-known NFL name for his work with the Tennessee Titans under head coach Mike Vrabel for the last six seasons. In 2018, Streicher was hired by Vrabel as his assistant head coach. He was in that role for two seasons before being promoted to coordinator of football prior to the 2020 season. He was in that role for three seasons, but got the chance to head coach a 2021 preseason game when Vrabel went out due to COVID.
Last year, he was promoted yet again to director of football administration. He spent one season in that role. And on Wednesday, it was reported that the Rams are bringing Streicher in under a new title, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic:
The Rams hired John Streicher in a new title, "coordinator of football strategy", a source confirmed (@PaulKuharskyNFL first reported). I believe the role will have to do with game management but still taking shape. Streicher was the Titans' director of football administration.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) February 14, 2024
It is unclear exactly what this role entails at this time. However, if it does have to do with game management, that could mean anything from handling timeouts in late game situations to keeping track of other situational things like play clock, challenges and more.
For the Rams, this appears like a case of getting someone they want in the building and figuring out a role later. They clearly want Streicher to be a part of the organization in a significant way, as they were willing to make up a new title for him. It’s another strong addition to what is hopefully shaping up to be a quality coaching staff behind McVay in 2024.
Chris Shula: Rams will use same defensive structures
The Rams have already found a replacement for new Falcons coach Morris in Chris Shula, who served as the team’s pass-rush coordinator and linebackers coach this past season.
Shula originally joined the Rams organization in 2017 and has held various roles during that time. He originally began his NFL coaching career in 2015 at the age of 29 as a defensive quality control coach for the San Diego Chargers.
As he prepares for his new position, Shula said the team will use a similar defense as the one Morris ran last season.
“I think we’ll use a lot of the same structures, the same 3-4 structure and some of the same core beliefs,” Shula said. “But it’s all about the players. So we’re going to do whatever the players can execute at a high level, where they can go out and play fast and play with confidence. And whatever the offense gives us, we’ll be able to have answers to, and they can go be the best version of themselves.”
