Brandon Staley enters his first season as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. He was hired by the team on Jan. 16, 2020.
Staley joins the Rams after spending the 2019 season as the outside linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos.
In 2019, the Broncos ranked first in the NFL in red zone scoring defense, allowing a touchdown on only 18-of-46 opponent trips (39.1 percent) into the red zone. Denver's opponents scored only nine rushing touchdowns in 2019, tied for the fifth-fewest in that category.
Additionally, the Broncos defensive unit finished ninth in opponent passing completion percentage (64.8 percent) and 10th in scoring defense, allowing 19.8 points per game.
In Denver, Staley worked closely with Broncos OLB Von Miller, who was selected as a starter to the 2020 Pro Bowl following a 8.0-sack, 46-tackle season that also included 10 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits.
Staley joined Denver's staff after working under Broncos Head Coach Vic Fangio in Chicago during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
Staley held the same role in Chicago, where he was influential in the success of OLB Khalil Mack during the 2018 season.
Over the course of his two seasons in Chicago, the Bears tied for second in the NFL in sacks (92.0) and had the third-most sacks by a linebacking corps (51.0) in the league. Chicago led the NFL in takeaways over that span (58) while also ranking in the top-six in the league in scoring defense (17.7 points per game, fourth), total yards (299.7 yards per game, sixth) and rushing defense (80.0 rushing yards per game, second).
In 2018, Staley helped coach a Bears defense that ranked among the NFL's best in numerous categories, including scoring defense (17.7 points per game, first), takeaways (36, first) total defense (299.7 yards per game, third), sacks (51.0, third) and third-down defense (34.2 percent, fourth). He coached Mack, an Associated Press First-Team All-Pro, who joined Texans DE J.J. Watt as the only players in the NFL with at least 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and four pass breakups.
Only Watt and Rams DT Aaron Donald had more quarterback hurries than Mack (27) during Staley's only season coaching the perennial Pro Bowl OLB.
Prior to his arrival in Chicago, Staley spent three seasons (2013, 2015-16) as the defensive coordinator/secondary coach with John Carroll University. In 2016, he helped John Carroll finish third in the nation in total defense (218.0 yards per game), fourth in scoring defense (12.6 points per game) and seventh in passing defense (139.7 yards per game) while earning National Coordinator of the Year honors in Division III. He was named Co-Assistant Coach of the Year in the Ohio Athletic Conference in 2013 when John Carroll ranked third nationally in pass defense efficiency.
Staley spent 2014 as the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at James Madison, where the defense ranked 11th in the nation in takeaways (28) and 13th in sacks per game (2.9) under his guidance. Before his first stint at John Carroll, he spent the 2012 season at Tennessee as a graduate assistant.
Staley served as the associate head coach/defensive coordinator for two seasons (2010-11) at Hutchinson C.C., helping three players develop into NFL Draft picks: WR Cordarrelle Patterson (No. 29 overall), DE Markus Golden (No. 58 overall) and LB De'Vondre Campbell (No. 115 overall).
The Ohio native began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at North Illinois (2006-08) before working with defensive linemen and special teams at Division III St. Thomas in 2009.
A two-year starter at quarterback and team captain for the University of Dayton, Staley posted a 16-5 record for the Flyers from 2003-04. He completed his fifth collegiate season at Mercyhurst University with his twin brother, Jason.
Staley, a native of Perry, Ohio, was born on Dec. 10, 1982.
