Paul Ferraro serves as linebackers coach for the Rams following three seasons (2006-08) as special teams coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. In his three seasons with Minnesota, Ferraro’s units produced an NFC Special Teams Player of the Week three times: twice by K Ryan Longwell and once by KR Aundrae Allison. The Vikings scored a pair of punt return touchdowns, a kickoff return touchdown, scored a touchdown off a fake field goal, and returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown. The Vikings’ punting unit helped the team with field position by posting 86 kicks that pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line, tied for the third-most in the NFL since 2006.

Ferraro was special teams assistant/assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Carolina Panthers in 2005, his first NFL position. That year, the Panthers notched a pair of upset road wins en route to the NFC Championship game, topping the New York Giants and Chicago Bears on their home fields.

Before coming to the NFL, Ferraro spent 23 years coaching at the collegiate level. From 2001-04, Ferraro was the defensive coordinator at Rutgers. The 2004 Scarlet Knights led the Big East in sacks, takeaways and third-down defense.

Ferraro coached defensive backs at Georgia Tech from 1999-2000. Yellow Jackets Travares Tillman and Jeremy Muyres earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors under Ferraro’s tutelage and Tillman became a second-round draft choice of the Buffalo Bills. Tech was invited to the Gator Bowl in 1999 and the Peach Bowl in 2000.

Ferraro began his coaching career at Massachusetts as a graduate assistant in 1982, then moved on to Syracuse (1983), Villanova (1984-86) and Dartmouth (1987). Paul was named assistant head coach/assistant athletic director at Catholic University in Washington D.C., in 1988 before moving to Maine in 1989. He helped the Black Bears win the Yankee Conference title and advance to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

Following a stint at Ohio University as linebackers coach in 1990, Ferraro became defensive coordinator at Bowling Green in 1991. Over the next eight seasons, 12 of Ferraro’s position players earned All-Mid American Conference selections and linebacker Vince Palko was MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 1993 and 1994. Bowling Green was undefeated in conference play in 1991 and 1992 and defeated Fresno State in the Raisin Bowl and Nevada in the Las Vegas Bowl.

As a collegian, Ferraro played safety at Springfield College, earning All-New England honors as a senior. A native of Ridgewood, N.J., Ferraro earned a bachelor’s degree in 1982 and a master’s degree from Syracuse in 1986.