Another year, another coordinator change: Rams' Schottenheimer leaves for Georgia
ST. LOUIS -- For the fifth consecutive offseason, St. Louis will be looking for a new coordinator.
Barely a week after coach Jeff Fisher said he didn't anticipate any changes on his staff and specifically praised offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer in response to a question, Georgia announced the hiring of Schottenheimer for the same position. Rams general manager Les Snead spoke to media shortly after the hiring became public around 1 p.m. but declined to go into specifics before Fisher can address the situation later in the week.
The Rams' offense sputtered in 2014 after losing quarterback Sam Bradford in the preseason, and leading receiver Brian Quick went down with a shoulder injury midway through the schedule. A weak offensive line also contributed to St. Louis finishing 28th in the NFL in total yards and 21st in points.
Schottenheimer's offense hasn't finished in the top 20 in either category since he joined Fisher's staff in 2012, and the Rams ranked 30th in total yards a year ago. An especially poor offensive line this season contributed to their worst year yet rushing the ball, with an average of just 102.2 yards per game.
Snead says a list of names for possible replacements already exists, but he expects Fisher to be patient as he evaluates his options. Until recently, neither man knew Schottenheimer would be headed to Georgia, where he'll also be the quarterbacks coach.
St. Louis has hired new defensive coordinators in each of the last two seasons, and it's a safe bet Gregg Williams won't be leaving anytime soon after his unit's impressive finish. But the new hire will be the fourth offensive coordinator since the Rams drafted Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick in 2010 -- Pat Shurmur greeted the rookie, and was replaced by Josh McDaniels in 2011 and then Schottenheimer -- something Snead says is a bit of a concern.
"That's a big thing when you start totally over from scratch," Snead says. "You've got to learn new things in a short period of time. I think continuity is always underrated."
More adversity is the last thing this offense needs, but maybe a fresh face can finally bring it some new life.
You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter at @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.
