It’s not a secret that a lot of NFL head coaches worked for Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams, and there are currently five coaches in the league right now: Kevin O’Connell with the Minnesota Vikings, Liam Coen with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Raheem Morris with the Atlanta Falcons, Zac Taylor with the Cincinnati Bengals and Matt LaFleur with the Green Bay Packers.
Well, there could be more in 2026.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero curated a list of 24 names to know ahead of the head coach hiring cycle this offseason. He named three Rams assistants among this group: offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, and defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
It’s a good bet that one former Sean McVay assistant will get hired in any given cycle, especially when the Rams are rolling. And there are several logical candidates on staff this year. LaFleur — the younger brother of Packers coach Matt LaFleur — has been the Rams’ OC the last three seasons after a stint calling plays with the Jets. McVay calls the plays in L.A., but LaFleur is heavily involved. So is Scheelhaase, a former Illinois QB who coached at his alma mater and Iowa State for almost a decade before McVay hired him last year. Shula, the grandson of coaching legend Don Shula, has assisted his old Miami (Ohio) teammate McVay since 2017, spending the last two years as DC. It wouldn’t be a shock to see all three get interview requests in this cycle, with Shula perhaps the closest to being ready for the big seat.
Shula is likely the hottest name of this group of three, given his age and experience. He’s 39, has been with McVay and the Rams since 2017, has been the team’s defensive coordinator for the past two seasons and orchestrated one of the best defenses in the league in 2025. L.A.’s defense currently ranks second in points allowed and 13th in yards. Shula is also the grandson of the legendary Don Shula, who is the NFL’s winningest head coach and led the only undefeated team in league history — the 1972 Miami Dolphins
LaFleur, 38, and Scheelhaase, 35, are rising stars on the offensive side of the ball, though, and will be exciting names considering their attachment to McVay and his creative offensive mind. Others like the Bengals’ Taylor, the Jaguars’ Coen and LaFleur’s older brother Matt were highly-coveted coaches even though they didn’t necessarily call plays for the Rams under McVay.
McVay’s staff typically experiences a high level of turnover due to interest from other teams. We’ll see which, if any, make the jump to head coach in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Chris Shula named among top head coaching candidates for 2026
