Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell has big job ahead before starting new job
Kevin O’Connell grew up in Carlsbad, played college football at San Diego State and coached the last two seasons for the Rams.
But the Southern California native does not lack for heavy winter clothes.
“I had lived in some cold places before coming back to California,” O’Connell, the Rams’ offensive coordinator said Friday during a videoconference with reporters. “I might have to dust off a few but I can tell you that I do own a very warm coat.”
O’Connell supplied that wardrobe update while attempting to delicately talk around what will be his next destination after the Rams play the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium.
O’Connell, 36, is expected to be officially hired by the Minnesota Vikings as their next head coach. The team has not announced the hiring, but a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed that O’Connell will become the fourth former assistant to Sean McVay to become an NFL head coach.
Matt LaFleur, 42, was offensive coordinator on McVay’s 2017 staff. He called plays for the Tennessee Titans for one season and then was hired in 2019 by the Green Bay Packers, who he has led to the playoffs three times and the NFC championship game twice.
Zac Taylor, 38, was a Rams assistant receivers coach in 2017 and quarterbacks coach in 2018 before the Bengals hired him as head coach. After finishing 2-14 and then 4-11-1 in his first two seasons, Taylor has the Bengals in the Super Bowl.
Brandon Staley, 39, the Rams defensive coordinator in 2020, was hired by the Chargers and guided his team to a 9-8 record this season.
And now O’Connell is poised to join the fraternity of 32 NFL head coaches.
O’Connell opened his videoconference by trying to steer questions away from his next coaching stop.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of things going on, a lot of things that I’m absolutely looking forward to,” he said before taking questions from reporters. “But none more so right now than our preparation for this game.”
O’Connell is set to become a head coach seven years after he joined the Cleveland Browns staff as quarterbacks coach.
The 6-foot-5 O’Connell was a standout quarterback at La Costa Canyon High and San Diego State before the New England Patriots selected him in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. O’Connell played in two games for the Patriots and then spent time with five other NFL teams, finishing with the Chargers in 2012.
O’Connell worked as a predraft workout instructor before the Browns hired him. In 2016, he worked on special projects for the San Francisco 49ers. In 2017, after McVay left as Washington’s offensive coordinator to coach the Rams, O’Connell joined Washington’s staff as quarterbacks coach. He added passing game coordinator responsibilities in 2018 and was offensive coordinator in 2019.
After coach Jay Gruden was fired five games into the 2019 season, O’Connell took over play-calling duties. Washington finished 3-13.
McVay is the offensive architect and play-caller for the Rams but in 2020 hired O’Connell as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
O’Connell works with McVay and other coaches to help put together game plans. He also oversees meetings and coaches Matthew Stafford and other quarterbacks.
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“Everything that is encompassing for leading our offense, putting together the game plans and really how we operate on game day,” McVay said.
O’Connell is a “great leader” with “a great capacity and command,” McVay said.
“He’s got great ability to relate to the players and be able to connect with them,” McVay said. “And I think one of the most important things for a coach is: Do those players know that you care about them and can make ‘em a better football player?
“And Kevin checks both of those boxes.”
O’Connell coached Jared Goff last season, and this season helped Stafford as the 13th-year pro led the Rams to their first Super Bowl appearance since the 2018 season.
Stafford, 33, and O’Connell were briefly teammates with the Detroit Lions in 2009. O’Connell has been “spectacular” coaching him this season, Stafford said.
“I wouldn’t be where I am right now, you know, playing in this game with this group the way we’ve been playing, if it wasn’t for his help,” Stafford said. “He does an unbelievable job. ... His demeanor, his ability to communicate and get to know guys on our team and demand a lot at the same time is something that I think will serve him well.”
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O’Connell said he has learned much from McVay and all the coaches he has played for and coached under.
“You take a little bit from everybody,” he said adding, “Great leadership comes in many different positions, it’s not always just the head coaches — it can be other position coaches you’re with, it can be players.
“I can say every coach that I’ve ever worked for or played for has had an impact on me. That’s something that as you progress in your career, you would really be doing a disservice to yourself and those around you if you didn’t try to continue to carry on some of those great principles you learned from a lot of great leaders that I’ve had the chance to be around.”
McVay dismissed talk of his “coaching tree” as “a little ridiculous” because he said he learns as much from his assistants as they learn from him. Seeing assistants move on to new jobs with more responsibility creates “some good positive stress” McVay said, but also presents opportunities to bring in other talented coaches.
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“You want to be around ambitious people, and I think it is important to be able to continue to identify great coaches from all different types of backgrounds because we’ve got ‘em on this staff,” McVay said.
The Rams staff includes defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who is Black, four Black position coaches and four Black assistants. Morris interviewed with the Vikings and running back coach Thomas Brown interviewed with the Miami Dolphins.
McVay and O’Connell both said it was important to create more opportunities for coaches from diverse backgrounds.
O’Connell interviewed with the Vikings, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans.
“Each and every time making it very, very evident that that’s a big part of the plan that would be in place,” O’Connell said, adding, “There’s some really good diverse coaches out there that are some of the best coaches in our league, some of the best coaches I’ve ever been around that deserve genuine opportunities to grow.”
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