Chris Shula enters his eighth season with the Rams, his first as the defensive coordinator after serving as the linebackers coach and pass rush coordinator during the 2023 season.
Last season under Shula's guidance, Linebacker Ernest Jones set the franchise record for most tackles in a single season (145) despite missing a game due to injury, and finished 11th in the NFL in tackles. Jones also finished with the eighth-best defensive grade (82.1), the fifth-best run defense grade (90.0), the seventh-best tackling grade (80.5), and the ninth-best pressure grade (78.2) among linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus. Jones was one of 13 players in the NFL to finish with a run defense grade over 90.0 last season.
Additionally, Outside Linebacker Byron Young had a stellar rookie campaign and recorded 8.0 sacks, which tied for secondmost on the team and is tied for the second-most by a rookie in franchise history behind Kobie Turner and Aaron Donald. Young also finished second on the team in pressures (50), quarterback hits (21), and finished third in hurries (29). Turner (9.0) and Young finished first and second respectively in sacks amongst rookies in the NFL. The Rams also had four defensive players record six or more sacks during the 2023 campaign.
In 2022 under Shula's leadership, the Rams secondary shined, even with rookies stepping up to play significant snaps. The Rams secondary finished tied for seventh in interceptions (16), and 12 of them were hauled in by players in the secondary.
Former Rams' Defensive Back Jalen Ramsey finished second in the NFL in passes defended (18) and tied for third in pass breakups (12) and 11th in interceptions (four) to earn his sixthcareer Pro Bowl nod. Additionally, rookie Defensive Back Cobie Durant led the NFL in interception return yards (151) on three interceptions. He became the first Rams rookie, and eighth player in NFL history, to record a sack and interception in the same game within their first two NFL games during a Week 2 matchup against the Falcons. Former Rams Safety Taylor Rapp also had one of his best seasons under Shula and was the 12th-highest graded safety during the 2022 season, according to PFF.
With the guidance of Shula during the team's Super Bowlwinning season in 2021, Jones became an instant contributor as a rookie. He started 15 games and tallied 58 tackles (33 solo), one sack, a tackle for loss, four pass breakups, two interceptions (50 interception return yards) and six quarterback pressures. Shula also helped Jones have a standout performance in Super Bowl LVI with seven tackles (six solo), 1.0 sack, one pass breakup, and four quarterback pressures.
Shula's unit supported the Rams defense which finished sixth in the NFL in opponents rushing yards per game (103.2), sixth in opponents rush yards (1,754), and fifth in yards per rush (3.96) in 2021.
The Rams' defense was the top-ranked defensive unit in 2020, allowing the fewest points per game (18.5), passing yards per game (190.7) and total yards per game (281.9). The Rams also finished second in the league in sacks (53.0) that season.
Additionally in 2020, free agent addition OLB Leonard Floyd enjoyed a career-year under the guidance of Shula. Floyd posted a career-best 10.5 sacks in his first season with the Rams.
In his first season working primarily with the outside linebackers in 2019, Shula helped former OLB Dante Fowler Jr. put together a career-year that featured a career-best 11.5 sacks to go along with career-highs in tackles (58), forced fumbles (two), passes defensed (six), tackles for loss (16) and quarterback hits (16).
Shula also assisted in a strong season for veteran LB Clay Matthews, who tallied 8.0 sacks in only 13 games played, his highest sack total since the 2014 season.
With the help of Shula, former LB Cory Littleton put together a career year in his third pro campaign. His 125 tackles led the team and was tied for 10th-most in the NFL in 2018, in addition to posting the most passes defended (13) by any linebacker in the league.
In 2017, LBs Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron each posted over 100 tackles. Barron, a converted safety playing his first season in former Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips' system, posted a career-high and tied for a team-best three interceptions on the season.
Prior to joining the Rams in 2017, Shula spent two seasons as defensive quality control coach with the Chargers. In his capacity, Shula assisted with the defensive line, which saw a breakout season from rookie DE Joey Bosa, who finished the 2016 season tied for sixth in the AFC in sacks with 10.5.
Shula entered the NFL after spending one season as defensive coordinator at John Carroll University in 2014. During that season, John Carroll reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III playoffs and finished 10th in Division III in scoring defense.
Prior to his time at John Carroll University, Shula spent three seasons as a graduate assistant, working primarily with defensive backs at Indiana University. Shula entered the coaching ranks as the assistant linebackers coach at Ball State in 2010.
He was a linebacker at Miami (Ohio) from 2004-08, where he was a teammate of Head Coach Sean McVay for four seasons.
Shula is the son of David Shula, former head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 1992-96, and the grandson of Hall of Fame Head Coach Don Shula. The Shulas are one-of-two three-generation coaching families in NFL history. He and his wife, Jennifer, got married in 2021 and have a daughter, Avery.
