Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay stands on the sidelines against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Three Instant Observations From Rams Recent Coaching Hires

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Brock Vierra | Last updated Feb 15, 2026 1:46 PM ET

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams have hired Robert Wright to be a defensive assistant in 2026. Here's three observations from the move.

1. The Rams Are Setting Themselves Up For A Series Of In-House Promotions Next Season

While the Rams were mostly able to keep their staff in-house this cycle, with Mike LaFleur being the only major departure up to this point, next offseason promises to be one of mass departures as Nate Scheelhaase, Kliff Kingsbury, Chris Shula, Aubrey Pleasant, and others are in position to be considered for head coaching and/ or coordinator openings.

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McVay has kept things tight in regard to his positions of power, often employing familiar faces in those roles in recent years. By stacking his staff with young, talented assistants like Wright, McVay has more than enough to promote internally, reinventing his coaching ecosystem as the league looks to pluck his talent.

2. Wright Has Familiarity With The Rams

Wright coached former Rams defensive lineman Bobby Brown and current linebacker Shaun Dolac in recent years during his stops with Texas A&M and Buffalo. Wright is the next in a series of collegiate hires, creating a counter culture to the "McVay Brand" of the usual assistants.

3. McVay Wants To Stay Ahead Of The Defensive Curve

When McVay used 13 personnel at a historically high level, displaying to the rest of the NFL the advantages of the package, he opened Pandora's Box and like Mike LaFleur loves to say, the best in the league steal from others. There is no doubt that the rest of the NFL is building unique personnel packages that use multiple tight ends, if not a fullback as well, to counter the typical nickel and dime defenses that were designed to stop 11 personnel, using hybrid defenders.

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In order to counter the reality of teams having physical mismatches that trump current NFL defensive schemes, McVay is looking towards collegiate coaches, who often have to design plans with defenders that don't physically matchup against their opposition.

With the talent gap being short in the NFL, those concepts could give McVay the edge on defense and the insight to evolve on offense.

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