THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – There were quite a few new faces around the Rams' training facility, but it marked an exciting day for head coach Sean McVay and his staff when he officially introduced new offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell, defensive coordinator Brandon Staley and special teams coordinator John Bonamego on Wednesday morning.
"I would say (I'm) more rejuvenated and reinvigorated than I've ever been since I first got here," McVay said during a news conference sitting alongside the new hires. "That's a reflection of these men up here."
Those men will work with McVay to help bring the Rams back to the postseason in 2020, and they arrive with "fresh new perspectives" that McVay is excited about.
The 34-year-old O'Connell comes to Los Angeles after spending the last three years with the Washington Redskins, the same franchise McVay worked his way up with before L.A. hired him as its head coach.
He brings a different view as a former NFL quarterback, who, in addition to overseeing the offense, will also coach the position he once played.
"I've been really impressed with from when he was a player and the seamless transition that he's made into coaching – his mastery of the position," McVay said. "When you talk about big-picture perspective, it's not just the quarterback position, it's all 11 (players) on offense, it's all 11 (players) on defense, understating rules, responsibilities. Just the charisma, the presence, all those things were things that excited you about getting an opportunity to work together."
On defense, Staley also offers a different perspective, having taken an untraditional route as a converted college quarterback. However, working under Broncos head coach Vic Fangio as an outside linebackers coach – first for two seasons with the Bears when Fangio was Chicago's defensive coordinator, followed by last season in Denver – was enough to convince McVay the 37-year-old Staley was the right man for the job.
"When you look at the system, especially with the success that a Vic Fangio-led defense has had over the course of a really elongated period of time, Vic is a coach that I really respect and hold in high regard," McVay said. "When you listen to the things he says about Brandon Staley, when you listen to the people that I've come in close contact with that have been around him, when you look at the background, it's impressive."
Bonamego, a 17-year NFL coaching veteran, has plenty of experience to draw upon having overseen the specialists for five different teams. Three of them – the Jaguars, Saints and Lions – hired him back for a second stint.
Not only will he bring new ideas, he will also be able to help McVay during crucial moments in a game.
"He's got innovative things to be able to implement, he's got an ownership on situational football – which in a lot of instances, especially for the head coach, you rely on your special teams coordinator," McVay said.
More fresh perspectives are on the way. New running backs coach Thomas Brown, assistant special teams coach Tory Woodbury and defensive quality control coach Jonathan Cooley were officially announced as additions to the staff Wednesday afternoon.
Together, their ability to collaborate well with the rest of the staff will add value to the team. A re-energized McVay is confident these moves will benefit the organization.
"I think it can be a good thing, too, where you bring in some fresh new perspectives," McVay said. "What I like is as much as anything is you like a good challenge of, 'Hey, alright maybe I see it a little bit different and let's find out what's the best way to do it.' It doesn't matter who's right, it's what's right. ... I know I'm going to be a better coach for having been around these guys, the people that we're bringing in and the 14 coaches that are already in place that are going to continue to do a great job for us."
