Los Angeles Rams

Rams make quick coaching hires with eye on defending title

Updated Feb. 21, 2022 9:23 p.m. ET

Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams are moving quickly to put together a stellar 2022 coaching staff in hopes of running it back next season.

They have reportedly hired Kentucky Wildcats offensive coordinator Liam Coen to take the same position in L.A. He'll replace Kevin O'Connell, who left the Rams to become the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings last week.

Coen previously worked with McVay from 2018-20 as assistant wide receivers and quarterbacks coach.

The Rams have also hired former Las Vegas Raiders OC Greg Olson, who served as the Rams’ quarterbacks coach under McVay in 2017. Olson is expected to be named senior offensive assistant, per sources.

Under the guidance of the 36-year-old Coen, the Wildcats embraced a more diverse offense that landed them second in the SEC East with a 10-3 record, including 5-3 in conference play last season.

In addition to working with the Rams for one year back in 2017, Olson, 58, has served as an OC on six other occasions: with the then-St. Louis Rams (2006-07), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008-11), then-Oakland Raiders (2013-14), Jacksonville Jaguars (2015-16), and Raiders again (Oakland/Las Vegas, 2018-21).

With these new additions to the coaching staff and heading into next season in solid salary cap shape, the Rams just might have a chance to make a run at repeating as Super Bowl champions.

In fact, the Rams can create more than $60 million in cap space by restructuring deals for just six players, including Matthew Stafford, Jalen Ramsey, Cooper Kupp, Leonard Floyd, Robert Woods and Aaron Donald — who has been flirting with retirement since his Super Bowl LVI win.

In five seasons as the head coach of the Rams, McVay has compiled a 55-26 record (.679), winning at least nine games every season. The Rams have made the playoffs in four of his five seasons at the helm, and he has already accumulated 10 playoff wins, including becoming the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl at the age of 36.

With such an accomplished résumé in a short period of time, maybe a couple of fresh faces will help McVay keep the momentum going.