Chris Shula, the grandson of Don Shula, will be Rams’ new defensive coordinator

Chris Shula will be the Los Angeles Rams’ new defensive coordinator.

Chris Shula, the grandson of Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, will be the Los Angeles Rams’ new defensive coordinator, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the team had not yet announced the promotion for Sean McVay’s longtime assistant and college teammate.

Chris Shula replaces Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who was hired as the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach.

Chris Shula and Sean McVay played together at Miami of Ohio, and Shula has been an assistant to McVay since the head coach’s first year with the Rams in 2017. Shula even lived in McVay’s house when the two first moved to the West Coast.

The 37-year-old Shula has coached Los Angeles’ linebackers in various capacities for all but one of his seven seasons with the team. He added the title of pass game coordinator in 2022 while coaching the defensive backs, and he became the Rams’ pass rush coordinator last season while coaching the linebackers again.

Shula is the fourth defensive coordinator hired by McVay, following Wade Phillips, Brandon Staley and Morris, who spent the past three seasons running Los Angeles’ defense.

Shula is the son of former Cincinnati Bengals coach Dave Shula. His grandfather, who died in 2020, became the winningest head coach in NFL history during his tenures with the Baltimore Colts and the Miami Dolphins.