Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Rams thought enough of head coach Jeff Fisher to give him a two-year contract extension. That seemed like a brilliant business decision after Fisher helped to lead the Rams to a surprising 3-1 start through the first quarter of the season.
Unfortunately, the team’s success didn’t last as the Rams have lost eight of their last nine games including a 42-14 thrashing at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The Falcons were playing without either of their top two wide receivers, Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, and were still able to put 42 points on the board despite only gaining 286 total yards.
The biggest reason for the blowout was the five turnovers committed by the Rams’ offense. Rookie quarterback Jared Goff contributed three of those turnovers with two interceptions and a fumble while the other two come via fumbles by running back Malcolm Brown and kick returner Michael Thomas.
The ugly display was so horrible that the Rams decided to fire Fisher on Monday afternoon, just a couple months after giving him that contract extension. Rams COO Kevin Demoff said that the decision was based solely on performance and that Sunday’s game was inexcusable.
Los Angeles Rams announce that they have fired head coach Jeff Fisher pic.twitter.com/emz2AxGazd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 12, 2016
“I don’t think he was certainly expecting it,” Demoff said of Fisher’s reaction , which he described as professional, according to the Los Angeles Times .
Demoff also wouldn’t confirm whether or not general manager Les Snead would return next season.
BREAKING: Los Angeles Rams announce they have fired head coach Jeff Fisher. pic.twitter.com/v2EHZSc0MV
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) December 12, 2016
With Fisher out the door, who are some possible replacements as the Los Angeles Rams’ head coach? Here are five head coaches who could possibly fill Jeff Fisher’s shoes.
Josh McDaniels – McDaniels is the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots and there’s a solid chance that he will be a head coach somewhere in 2017. He’s one of the brightest offensive minds in the game and could go a long way in progressing the career of Goff. The only question is whether the Rams will be able to lure the former Denver Broncos head coach across the country.
After firing Jeff Fisher, the #Rams are expected to interview former #Broncos coach Josh McDaniels: https://t.co/ny5lodGC7o
— Broncos Wire (@TheBroncosWire) December 13, 2016
Kyle Shanahan – Shanahan has never been a head coach in the NFL, but he is the son of two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Shanahan and runs one of the best offensive schemes in the NFL. He’s currently the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons who are the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL with 32.9 points per game.
ICYMI: Will the #Rams look to replace Jeff Fisher with #Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan? https://t.co/LG7bvfrrVb
— The Falcons Wire (@TheFalconsWire) December 13, 2016
David Shaw – Shaw is currently the head coach at Stanford and seems to be pretty happy in that role. That being said, there may come a time when the NFL comes calling and Shaw just can’t say no. The Rams’ opening could be one of those situations as Shaw would be able to stay in the state of California. Shaw is also a former quarterbacks coach with the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens.
So I still haven’t heard a reason as to why David Shaw visited the Rams a week ago? I’ll hold out hope it’s because he’s our HC next year. pic.twitter.com/um1Wz0h1cD
— Sosa Kremenjas (@SosaKremenjas) December 6, 2016
Jim Harbaugh – As reported earlier today by The Inquisitr , Harbaugh’s name has been mentioned as a possible successor to Fisher. It’s unclear whether the Rams would be comfortable with someone like Harbaugh running the show as he likes to have full control. It’s very possible that he would ask for control of personnel decisions which could make a marriage impossible between the two sides.
Will the Rams try to land Jim Harbaugh for their open head coaching job? https://t.co/NgE6XrA8El pic.twitter.com/3sqx1mD3py
— SI NFL (@si_nfl) December 13, 2016
Jim Bob Cooter – Cooter will be one of the hot coordinator names this offseason when it comes to open head coaching jobs. He’s helped lead the Lions to a 9-4 record this season by instituting a short-passing game which makes things easier for Matthew Stafford. Cooter’s scheme could be the perfect solution for Goff as he gets used to the NFL.
The Rams should try to hire Jim Bob Cooter
— Danny Kelly (@DannyBKelly) December 12, 2016
[Featured Image by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images]