Rams are in danger of losing one of their longest tenured assistant coaches

The Miami Dolphins will interview Chris Shula for their defensive coordinator opening

The Miami Dolphins are interviewing Los Angeles Rams assistant Chris Shula on Thursday for their defensive coordinator opening, according to a report by the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Shula is one of LA’s longest tenured assistant coaches under Sean McVay, and he was a member of McVay’s original staff back in 2017. The two have roots that date back to college at Miami of Ohio, and Shula at one point lived with McVay when they relocated to Los Angeles.

The Rams have tasked Shula with several different coaching assignments on the defensive side of the ball, which likely was done in hopes of grooming him for a potential coordinator role one day. The team probably hoped that he’d be in Los Angeles when he got that chance, though he’s now getting looks from elsewhere across the NFL. Shula started as outside linebackers coach and then transitioned to middle linebackers. The change coincided with the Rams drafted Ernest Jones in 2021. The following season Shula moved to the secondary room as the pass game coordinator, though he moved back to linebackers and served as the team’s pass rush coordinator in 2023.

If the Dolphins indeed hire Shula, the Rams would lose one of their longest tenured assistants, a member of McVay’s original coaching staff, and a close friend of their head coach.