A veteran of 21 NFL seasons, this will be Olson's third stint with the Rams, and second with McVay, after serving as the club's quarterbacks coach in 2017. Olson has over 10 years of experience as an offensive coordinator at the NFL level. He returns to Los Angeles from Las Vegas, where he was the Raiders offensive coordinator from 2018-21.
He was previously the offensive coordinator while the franchise was in St. Louis (2006-07) and later the quarterbacks coach in McVay's first season (2017). In 2017, Olson helped former 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff to a breakout second NFL season – Goff completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 3,804 yards with 28 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.
Olson's time in St. Louis was highlighted by the 2006 campaign when the Rams became only the fourth team in league history to produce a 4,000-yard passer (Marc Bulger), a 1,500 yard rusher (Steven Jackson) and a pair of 1,000-yard receivers (Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce). Bulger, Holt and Bruce were subsequently named to the Pro Bowl that year as the Rams finished with the NFL's No. 6 total offense and No. 3 passing offense.
Under Olson's guidance from 2018-21, the Raiders offense ranked 10th in yards per game (361.8), 9th in yards per play (5.73), 7th in pass yards per game (253.2), 13th in third down conversion rate (41%), and 3rd in fourth down conversion rate (61.3%).
In Olson's first season with the Jaguars, he helped the offense improve from the 32nd-ranked unit in 2014 to the 14th-ranked offense in 2015. Olson orchestrated a Jaguars offense that scored nearly eight more points per game in his first season in Jacksonville than the previous campaign, with the 376 points being the fifth-highest point total in a single season in franchise history. Olson's high-scoring 2015 Jacksonville offense also saw the team score a club record 51 points in a match-up with the Colts in Week 15. The Jaguars scored 44 touchdowns in 2015, the third-most in a single season in franchise history.
Under Olson's tutelage in 2015, Jaguars QB Blake Bortles threw for 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns in his second NFL season.
Prior to his time in Jacksonville, Olson was the offensive coordinator with the Oakland Raiders for two seasons from 2013-14. In 2014, he worked closely with Raiders' first-round pick, QB Derek Carr. Carr threw for 3,270 yards and 21 touchdowns in his rookie campaign under Olson.
Additionally, Olson worked with Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor, who set the single-season franchise record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 576.
Olson spent four seasons with the Buccaneers from 2008-11, with the final three seasons coming as offensive coordinator. Olson helped develop QB Josh Freeman, the Bucs' first round draft pick in 2009. In Freeman's first three seasons as the club's starting quarterback, he threw for nearly 9,000 yards with 51 touchdowns.
In 2010, Olson's second season at the helm of the Tampa Bay offense, the Buccaneers were the NFL's youngest team, but still went on to set franchise records in yards per play, yards per pass play, passer rating and fewest interceptions thrown. Additionally, the Buccaneers offense finished in the top-five in franchise history in points scored, total offense and third down percentage.
After being elevated to offensive coordinator during training camp of the 2009 season, Olson's offense improved throughout the year. Freeman, while working alongside Olson, set Buccaneer rookie records for touchdown passes and passing yards.Olson arrived with the Buccaneers after spending two seasons as the Rams offensive coordinator from 2006-07.
Before working with the Rams, Olson spent two seasons with the Detroit Lions, first as quarterbacks coach before being elevated to offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach midway through the 2005 season. In the final three games of the 2004 season, Olson took over play-calling duties in Detroit and helped the Lions average 403.6 yards per game.
Olson came to Detroit after working one season as quarterbacks coach for the Chicago Bears in 2003. Prior to his time in Chicago, Olson spent one season as tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator at Purdue.
Olson began his NFL coaching career as the San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach in 2001. In his lone season with the 49ers, Olson helped QB Jeff Garcia throw for a career-high 32 touchdowns and career-bests in completion percentage and passer rating.
Prior to his break into the NFL, Olson was the quarterbacks coach at Purdue, where he played a prominent role in the development of future Super Bowl-winning QB Drew Brees. Brees was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1999 and 2000 under Olson and ended his career as the Big Ten's all-time leader in passing yards, touchdown passes, total yards, completion percentage, completions and attempts.
Olson was an assistant at Idaho for three seasons after spending four seasons at his alma mater, Central Washington, from 1990-93. At Central Washington, he worked with QB Jon Kitna, who would go on to have a 17-year career in the NFL.
Olson began his coaching career under Dennis Erickson, serving as a graduate assistant at Washington State in 1987.
Olson played quarterback collegiately at Spokane Falls Junior College before going to Central Washington from 1983-84.
Greg Olson and his wife, Lissa, are the parents of two children (twins): Kenny and Grayce. Kenny plays football at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Grayce plays volleyball at UCLA.
