The Los Angeles Rams are in full reorganization of a lot of posts on Sean McVay’s coaching staff. That to-do list got a little shorter as the club hired Mike LaFleur to be its next offensive coordinator, the team announced Friday. LaFleur had been considered the favorite to land the gig after he and the New York Jets mutually decided to part ways earlier this offseason, and Anderson reported Thursday that he had «the inside track» for the gig that he finally got it.
During the period when McVay was still considering his own NFL future before deciding to return to remain LA head coach, the Rams saw former offensive coordinator Liam Coen return to the university of Kentucky to be his OC after one season in the NFL. Coen was hired by the Rams after Kevin O’Connell accepted the Minnesota Vikings head coaching position last offseason.
During the 2022 campaign, the Rams have been thrilled with injuries on both sides of the ball, but particularly on offense where quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide Cooper Kupp were ultimately shut down for the year. Due in part to those injuries, the Los Angeles offense struggled, ranking 23rd in the NFL in DVOA and last in the league in total yards per game (280.5).
They’ll be looking to turn things around with LaFleur, who knows McVay well from his relationship with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. Before becoming the Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2021, LaFleur rose through the coaching ranks under Shanahan through saves with the Browns, Falcons and 49ers. In San Francisco, he was the passing game coordinator before making the jump to OC with New York. McVay also worked under Shanahan from 2010 to 2013 in Washington.
With the Jets, LaFleur didn’t find huge success on the offensive side of the ball. In 2021, the club ranked 31st in points and total yards, but saw a big improvement in 2022 as they were 25th in total yards and 31st in passing touchdowns. This was largely due to insufficient play at quarterback, especially in the last three weeks of this season for New York, where the team averaged just five points per game.
Despite these struggles on offense, LaFleur and the Jets mutually agreed to part ways so the CO could pursue other opportunities in the league. Now he has found that next opportunity in Los Angeles.