Coordinator Raheem Morris says he’s focused on helping the Rams, not job vacancies
Raheem Morris was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was interim coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
Will 2024 be the year that Morris, the Rams defensive coordinator, gets another shot?
The Carolina Panthers and the Chargers are searching for new coaches. After the season, several other teams will almost certainly be doing the same.
Morris said Tuesday he remained focused on the Rams (7-7), who play the New Orleans Saints (7-7) on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium in a game with NFC playoff implications.
Coach Sean McVay has been haunted by his bad play-calling when the Rams were inside the 10 two weeks in a row and knows that can’t happen against Saints.
“When those opportunities present themselves, I’ve just got to be ready to present myself in the best version,” Morris said of head coach interviews. “But to say you’re preparing or doing anything that you would do differently other than trying to win the next football game, I’d be lying to you.”
Morris, 47, coached the Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011, and compiled a 17-31 record.
In 2020, after the Atlanta Falcons fired Dan Quinn, Morris served as interim coach for a team that went 4-7 under his leadership.
In 2021, Rams coach Sean McVay hired Morris to succeed Brandon Staley. The Rams went on to win Super Bowl LVI.
During that postseason, Morris interviewed to become coach of the Minnesota Vikings. But the team hired former Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. After the 2022 season, Morris interviewed with several teams, including the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts, who hired Sean Payton and Shane Steichen, respectively.
In his three seasons with the Rams, Morris said he had “grown” and “gotten better” by being around McVay, general manager Les Snead and the Rams organization.
With three games left in the season, the Rams rank 18th in the NFL total defense, 19th in scoring defense.
“I’d not be telling you the truth if I didn’t think I would be better than I was that first time around when I was 32 years old taking over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or the interim coach midseason in Atlanta,” Morris said, “but I look forward to those challenges, and when those things present themselves I’ll be ready.”
Lineman Aaron Donald, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, said Morris is “a great” coach.
“Hopefully, he gets the opportunity,” to become a head coach again, Donald said. “I think he deserves it.”
McVay is accustomed to losing top assistants.
O’Connell, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur and Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor parlayed their time on McVay’s staff into head coach interviews and opportunities. Thomas Brown, who coached running backs and tight ends for the Rams, interviewed to become coach of the Panthers after last season and is currently the team’s offensive coordinator.
The Chargers hired Staley after one season with the Rams. The Broncos hired former Rams defensive backs coach Ejiro Evero as defensive coordinator.
McVay said last week that even though it would “crush” him to lose assistants, he would be happy for them.
Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, 36, is completing his first season with the Rams after serving as the play-calling offensive coordinator for the New York Jets in 2021 and 2022.
Roundtable: Schedule strength says the Rams should beat the Saints, but both are 7-7 and have a short week to prepare. Chargers should hire what kind of coach?
Ben Johnson of the Detroit Lions and Bobby Slowik of the Houston Texans are among the next wave of young offensive coordinators who will be tabbed for head coach interviews after the season.
NFL teams also often use head coach interviews to identify potential coordinators who otherwise might not be allowed to interview for a lateral position because of their contract status.
After the Rams’ 2017 season, the Tennessee Titans interviewed Matt LaFleur — Mike’s older brother — to become their head coach. The Titans hired Mike Vrabel, and then lured LaFleur to Nashville by making him the play-caller.
Matt LaFleur held that job for one season before the Packers hired him as head coach.
Mike LaFleur said that with the game against the Saints approaching, “it’s not right to even put any thought process,” into possible head coach interviews.
But after being around “awesome leaders” such as McVay, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, New York Jets coach Robert Saleh — along with the resource his brother provides — he said he would be ready if the opportunity arises.
“It’s so cool because of what Sean has built here and the respect and the regard he has around this league,” he said, “but what a challenge we have Thursday.”
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