Chris Shula enters his ninth season with the Rams and his second as the defensive coordinator.
As a first-year coordinator, Shula led a unit that finished tied for fifth in red zone efficiency (50%) and sixth in goal-to-go efficiency (65.5%). Against the run, they allowed the 10th-fewest rushing touchdowns (13). The pass rush also ranked near the top of the NFL in all major categories and finished sixth in hurries (225), 10th in pressure rate (35.7%) and 13th in pressures (218). In the secondary, the team tied for the 12th-most interceptions (13) and allowed the 12th-fewest completions (354).
In 2024, the Rams had two Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists in OLB Jared Verse and DE Braden Fiske. Verse took home the Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and also was named the Pro Football Writers Association Defensive Rookie of the Year. His 89 total pressures (including playoffs) were the second-most by a rookie behind Khalil Mack's 102 in 2014. Overall, the Rams defensive rookie tallied the most sacks (13.5), tackles for loss (26), pressures (139) and quarterback hits (30) across the NFL in 2024.
DE Kobie Turner and OLB Byron Young took second-year leaps in 2024 under Shula's guidance. Turner set single-season career-highs in tackles (62), tackles for loss (10) and passes defended (four). With 8.0 sacks on the year, he became the second player in franchise history to record at least 10.0 sacks in his first 19 career games, joining Aaron Donald. Young tallied career-highs in tackles (62) and tackles for loss (12).
The Rams defensive backs finished last season ranked 12th in completions allowed (254) and tied for 12th in interceptions (13). The rookie safety duo, Kamren Kinchens and Jaylen McCollough, each recorded four interceptions, tied for the second-most among rookies in the NFL. S Quentin Lake also stepped into a larger role and played 100 percent of the team's defensive snaps through the first 17 games of the season and was one of three defenders in the NFL to accomplish the feat. Lake became the 11th Rams defensive back to record 100 tackles in a season. His 111 tackles are the fifth-most for a defensive back in franchise history.
In 2023 when Shula was coaching linebackers and serving as the team's pass rush coordinator, former LB 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 that season.
Additionally, Young had a stellar rookie campaign and recorded 8.0 sacks, which tied for second-most on the team and is tied for the second-most by a rookie in franchise history behind Turner and 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 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' DB 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 sixth-career Pro Bowl nod. Additionally, rookie DB 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 S 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 Bowl-winning season in 2021, Jones became an instant contributor as a rookie starting 15 games. Shula 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 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, posting 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 former 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, former 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. He 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 at Indiana University, working primarily with the defensive backs. 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.
