Chris Shula enters his seventh season with the Rams, his first as the linebackers coach and pass rush coordinator, after serving as the defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator in 2022.
Under Shula's leadership, the Rams secondary shined in 2022, even with rookies stepping up to play significant snaps. The Rams' secondary finished last season 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 defensed (18) and tied for third in pass breakups (12) and 11th in interceptions (4) 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 ranked the 12th best safety during the 2022 season, according to PFF.
With the guidance of Shula in 2021, rookie Linebacker Ernest Jones became an instant contributor, starting 15 regular season games and tallying 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. OLB Samson Ebukam tallied 4.5 sacks, while OLB Justin Hollins added 3.0 sacks.
In his first season working primarily with the outside linebackers in 2019, Shula helped 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, LB Cory Littleton put together a career year in his third pro campaign. His 125 tackles led the team and were tied-10th most in the NFL in 2018, in addition to posting the most passes defensed (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 the previous two seasons as defensive quality control coach with the Chargers. In his capacity with the Chargers, 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.
Shula was a linebacker at Miami (Ohio) from 2004-08, where he was a teammate of Rams 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.
