MOBILE, Ala. – In wasting little time to name his coordinators, Rams coach Jeff Fisher announced Monday that Brian Schottenheimer is the man he has chosen to lead the Rams offense.
Schottenheimer joins the Rams after spending the previous six seasons in the same position with the New York Jets.
“I am really excited to have Brian join our staff,” Fisher said. “He is a well respected coach in this league who has had success for many years at a high level as an offensive coordinator. We share the same philosophies on the offensive side of the ball and I think he is a tremendous addition to our staff.”
That philosophy is one that preaches controlling the line of scrimmage and the ball by pounding away in the running game but maintaining balance in the pass game with an emphasis on protecting the quarterback.
Schottenheimer’s offenses were integral in the Jets’ back to back appearances in the AFC Championship game in 2009 and 2010. That 2009 group led the NFL in rushing with an average of 172.3 yards per contest.
With the Jets, Schottenheimer helped develop Mark Sanchez, who managed the games and came up with key plays in a series of road victories on the way to the AFC title game appearances.
Before landing in New York, Schottenheimer served four seasons as the quarterbacks coach for San Diego. There, he tutored a pair of Pro Bowl signal callers in Drew Brees and Philip Rivers.
The son of long time NFL head coach Marty, Schottenheimer worked for his father in Washington and Kansas City, serving as an offensive assistant with the Chiefs and quarterbacks coach with the Redskins.
Incidentally, Schottenheimer is taking his second turn in working on the Rams staff, as he worked as an offensive assistant under Dick Vermeil in 1997 in what was his first NFL coaching gig.
Schottenheimer has also been a tight ends coach at USC in 2000 and coached wide receivers at Syracuse in 1999.
Schottenheimer played quarterback at the University of Florida, where he played under Steve Spurrier and was a backup to Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel during the Gators’ 1996 National Championship season.
