The Los Angeles Rams lost three more members of their coaching staff as Ejiro Evero, Dwayne Stukes and Marcus Dixon were all hired by the Denver Broncos and their new head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
Evero was named the Broncos’ new defensive coordinator after spending this previous season as the Rams’ secondary/pass game coordinator. Evero worked to break down game film and analyzed offensive tendencies, among other responsibilities. He was also L.A.’s safeties coach for the prior four seasons.
The Rams allowed the second-fewest passing touchdowns while recording the third-most interceptions as they went on to win Super Bowl LVI. In 2020, the Rams posted the league’s best defense and held offenses to 16.8 points per game and 190.7 passing yards per game.
The Broncos’ new defensive coordinator previously spent the 2016 season as a defensive quality control coach with the Packers and five years with the 49ers from 2011-15.
Before arriving in San Francisco, Evero spent three seasons as a defensive quality control coach with Tampa Bay. He also coached at the University of Redlands (2010) and at his alma mater, University of California-Davis (2005-06). Evero was teammates with Hackett at UC-Davis.
Stukes was named as the Broncos’ new special teams coordinator after serving as the Rams’ assistant special teams coach in 2020. He has 13 years of NFL experience, previously working as a Jaguars defensive assistant for two seasons (2019-20) and an assistant special teams coach with the Giants (2016-17) and Bears (2013-14).
The University of Virginia alum also spent six seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2006-11. During his final season with the Bucs, Stukes served as the Buccaneers’ special teams coordinator while also working as the assistant defensive backs coach, special teams quality control coach and coaching assistant.
After a playing career at UVA, Stukes had an NFL career with the Buccaneers, Falcons and Steelers from 2000-03. He also played in NFL Europe and for the Arena Football League’s Colorado Crush.
Dixon was named as Denver’s defensive line coach after spending 2021 as the Rams’ assistant defensive line coach. He previously worked at Hampton University from 2017-20, where he was responsible for the defensive line, player development and recruiting.
Vikings announce Kevin O’Connell as new head coach
The Minnesota Vikings officially announced they have hired Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell as their new head coach.
It appears O’Connell might not be the only Rams coach heading to Minnesota as tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Wes Phillips is expected to join him in an undetermined role.
Additionally, Rams running backs coach Thomas Brown is also interviewing to be O’Connell’s offensive coordinator.
O’Connell served as the Rams offensive coordinator the past two seasons and joins the McVay coaching tree alongside Matt LaFleur, Zac Taylor, and Brandon Staley. Minnesota went 8-9 last season and often times suffered long scoring droughts in games, perhaps a large reason why O’Connell was their pick.
