Chris Shula says he's focused on fixing the Rams' defense, not his likely head coaching candidacy

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Shula is the son of a former NFL head coach and the grandson of the winningest coach in league history.

For the past nine seasons, he has been an assistant coach to Sean McVay, the youngest head coach in the Super Bowl era, the youngest coach ever to win a Super Bowl — and his best friend.

Shula is about to get his own first ride on the NFL's head coaching interview carousel, and it's tough to imagine somebody better prepared for the experience.

That's why Shula and the Los Angeles Rams (12-5) aren't worried about distractions as their defensive coordinator prepares his players to face the Carolina Panthers (8-9) on Saturday in the wild-card round.

Whether he lands a job or not this winter, Shula is determined to make the most of another winning season at McVay's side first — and he's got plenty of work to do.

“I mean, if the right spot and the right context, if the right situation presents itself, when that time comes, then we’ll decide that,” Shula said Wednesday. “I have a routine that I do every single week to be ready to play games, and this week I’m going to be locked in on that routine. We’re playing an opponent that’s very capable of beating us.”

Shula is focused on adjusting a defense that has regressed down the stretch after being one of the league's most effective units for much of the season.

While many factors have played a role, the injury absence of safety Quentin Lake since Week 11 has forced Shula to play replacements who are less versatile in coverage and less effective in run prevention.

Lake is expected to return against Carolina, but the Rams have allowed 168 points (28.0 per game) while going 3-3 in their past six games, knocking them out of the NFC's No. 1 overall seed.

The skid interrupted a yearlong stretch of surprisingly impressive play by Shula's unit, which has been completely rebuilt from the Super Bowl-winning defense led by Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey in 2021. The only defensive players remaining from that championship team are cornerback Darious Williams, who left for two years before returning, and special teams-focused linebacker Troy Reeder.

The Rams have just one first-round pick of their own on their defensive roster — Jared Verse, last season’s AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Los Angeles’ defensive payroll was the smallest in the league this season.

That success turned heads across the league and inspired the perception that Shula is the next big branch in McVay’s enviable coaching tree, which includes six assistants who have become full-time NFL head coaches.

McVay has repeatedly said this season that Shula could be ready for the next step if it presents itself.

“Based on some of the things that I’ve heard, I would imagine that Chris will get a couple of requests” for interviews, McVay said Tuesday. “I’d be very surprised if that doesn’t happen.”

Assistants who are coaching in the wild-card round can’t start interviewing for new jobs until next week.

Shula, who turns 40 next month, might not be thinking about preparing for interviews this week, but that’s because he’s already done the work.

Shula followed the example set by previous assistants in McVay’s coaching tree by studying and preparing for the head coaching interview process during the summer and again briefly on the Rams’ bye week, making sure he knows what to say when the time comes.

“It’s more of the overarching, philosophical stuff,” Shula said. “‘Who would you want with you?’ Some of the philosophies on the offensive, defensive side. Some of the culture things. Some of the big-picture stuff.”

Shula has been the Rams’ defensive coordinator for the past two seasons after serving as a defensive position coach since he arrived in 2017 with McVay, his closest friend since they became roommates during their freshman year on the Miami of Ohio football team in 2004.

They’re both descended from NFL royalty: Shula is the grandson of Miami Dolphins legend Don Shula and the son of former Bengals coach Dave Shula, while McVay is the grandson of 49ers executive and Giants coach John McVay.

They both acknowledge the role played by their heritage in their coaching success, but they made their way into the NFL separately. When McVay got the Rams’ top job, Shula immediately joined the staff — and even lived in McVay’s new house in Encino for a year.

Both have families now, and they’ve enjoyed the unusual stability granted by McVay’s success. Staying in one city for a decade is a rarity for any coach, but particularly for an assistant such as Shula.

So when the time comes to decide his next step, Shula won't rush out the door.

“I think that’s the goal of any coach that wants to be in this league," Shula said several weeks ago. “That doesn’t mean you’re just going to walk away for any opportunity. I love it here, and my family loves it here. We’ve been here nine, 10 years, coaching with my best friend. We obviously have a great group of players and a great staff. So for the right opportunity, we’ll see.”

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