Has there ever been a more lubricated pipeline to becoming an NFL head coach than to have at one time been in the same room as Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay?
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Brandon Staley is now the latest Sean McVay revelation to turn a Rams assistant job into something bigger and brighter, as he is set to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Staley is 38 years old and has just four years of NFL experience. Only one of those years has been spent as defensive coordinator, but now he’s the head coach of a professional franchise. His rise is almost unparalleled.
To get here, like McVay on the offensive side, Staley has brought fresh ideas to a league in which defenses have started to get a bit stale.
With experience as a defensive coordinator at the FCS and Division III level, he took an NFL graduate course under Vic Fangio in Chicago and Denver over three seasons before unleashing a tidal wave on the NFL as the Rams' defensive coordinator in 2020.
In terms of sheer numbers, the 2020 Rams defense was incredible. They led the league in expected points added (EPA) allowed per pass at -0.130 while ranking second in the same metric against the run at -0.186 EPA per play.
Overall, they allowed a measly -0.150 EPA per play over the regular season, ranking first in the league and making them one of only nine teams to finish the regular season allowing a negative figure.
Free for 7-days. Subscribe to continue reading and unlock
All premium content with the best insights + analysis in the game
NFL Draft Guide, Big Board + Mock Draft Sim
Fantasy Draft Kit and Nathan Jahnke's award winning rankings
Bet smarter with PFF player mismatches and expert betting insights
NFL and CFB player grades and premium stats
Unlock all PFF data trusted by all 32 NFL teams
Already have a subscription? Log In
© 2023 PFF - all rights reserved.