The Los Angeles Rams fired Jeff Fisher on Monday, and are now searching for a new head coach.

Rams’ Coaching Search Could Include High-Profile Names Like Jim Harbaugh, Jon Gruden

Special teams coordinator John Fassel is currently serving as the team’s interim coach.

This search will likely be very different from most others in the NFL, for a variety of reasons.

First, the opening is for a job in the country’s No. 2 market and that evidently implies a lot of potential, particularly with a $2.6-billion stadium set to open in 2019. There’s also the appeal of working with No. 1 draft pick Jared Goff, who has had a slow start but remains viewed as a player with much potential.

Second, there’s the fact that Stan Kroenke, one of the league’s richest owners, has so much at stake with the Inglewood Stadium, and selling personal seat licenses, that he will need to think of big names for the head coaching position.

Several household names have already begun to appear. Among the most interesting people rumored to be taking the job are Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh and Super Bowl-winning-coach-turned-broadcaster Jon Gruden, both of whom specialize in working with quarterbacks. Hiring either would likely mean the Rams would be paying their new head coach over $10 million per year, which is significantly more than Fisher had been earning. (Fisher was earning about $6.5 million annually, a hefty sum for a coach whose Rams career consisted of five straight losing seasons.)

In his second season with the Wolverines, Harbaugh is NCAA football’s highest-paid coach at $9 million a year. Previously, he coached the San Francisco 49ers, whom he led to a Super Bowl and three back-to-back NFC title games.

One big name who has weighed in on Harbaugh as a possible choice for the Los Angeles coaching job is former Rams Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson, who was recently embroiled in a he-said/she-said in which he claimed Fisher banned him from the sidelines at the team’s games, although Fisher and his staff denied this.

“People are talking about Jim Harbaugh,” Dickerson said. “That would be a good fit. He develops quarterbacks. He had Alex Smith in San Francisco. He had an offensive line he had to rebuild. It’s almost the same situation you have here.”

Those close to Gruden have stated he would be open to a Rams pitch, and that he could be interested in a return to coaching after seven years as color analyst for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.” He is also familiar with quarterbacks, resuscitated a dead Oakland Raiders franchise, and won a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay at the end of the 2002 season (by defeating his former Raiders team).

Plus, Gruden and Kevin Demoff, the Rams’ top executive, worked together with the Buccaneers.

Other names circulating include New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The Rams lost their last two games against these two teams.

In 2009, McDaniels was hired at age 33 to replace Mike Shanahan– Kyle’s father– as coach of the Denver Broncos. His teams went 8-8 and 3-9 before he was fired late in the 2010 season. McDaniels was also offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams in 2011 and has now had that same job for nearly four years with the Patriots.

McDaniels was spotted hanging around the Ram’s locker room, talking to his former colleagues following the team’s road loss to the Patriots in Week 13. This seems strange, considering Fisher was already on thin ice.

Nevertheless, Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager Dave Caldwell is believed to be interested in McDaniels, so the Rams’ being on the hunt for a coach could impact how the Jaguars deal with Coach Gus Bradley, who is 14-47 in nearly four seasons.

In his press conference Monday, Demoff said the investment in the Rams’ offense doesn’t necessarily mean the franchise will hire an offensive-minded head coach to replace the defensive-minded Fisher. The Rams are ranked 32nd on offense.

“You may find an unbelievable head coaching candidate who you meet with and believe is absolutely perfect for the Los Angeles Rams who has a defensive background,” Demoff said. “I think what’s most important is they have a plan to maximize the offense.”

Other potential candidates amongst the NFL’s offensive coordinators include the Seattle Seahawks’ Darrell Bevell and the Detroit Lions’ Jim Bob Cooter. 

Other non-offensive candidates include Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith and former New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

ANN ARBOR, MI – OCTOBER 17: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines reacts during the college football game against the Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Stadium on October 17, 2015 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Spartans defeated the Wolverines 27-23. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

As their first season back in Los Angeles in over 20 years nears its end, the Rams have made a bold move.

Rams Fire Coach Jeff Fisher After Losing Eight Of Nine Games

The team announced on Monday afternoon that they are firing head coach Jeff Fisher. 

Fisher, 58, has been the Rams’ head coach since 2012. In that time, he has compiled a 31-45-1 record with no playoff appearances. Fisher signed a two-year contract extension just before the start of the 2016 season.

A Fisher-led team has not had a winning record since 2008, when he coached the Titans to a 13-3 record.

Special teams coordinator John Fassel will be the Rams’ interim coach, the team stated.

The Rams (4-9) suffered a brutal 42-14 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, their fourth straight loss and eighth in the last nine games. Los Angeles’ three previous losses came against the Dolphins, Saints and Patriots.

“Making a decision such as this — especially during the season — is one of the most difficult in sports,” said Rams owner Stanley Kroenke. “I have great respect for Jeff as a coach, person, father and friend.

Kroenke continued: “He has worked tirelessly despite some challenging circumstances. He played an integral role in helping this team make history in returning the NFL to Los Angeles, and we always will be grateful for his commitment and dedication to our organization.

“However, this is the right time to make a change as our performance has not lived up to my or our fans’ expectations. We all are focused on improving as an organization and building a team that makes Los Angeles proud. Our mission is to celebrate a Super Bowl title with our fans in Los Angeles. Today is the first step to bringing us closer to that goal.”

The Rams began their season 3-1, but then poor quarterback play from incumbent Case Keenum– coupled with lingering calls by fans and critics for 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff to start ahead of Keenum– hung over the team.

The Rams will next play the Seahawks in Seattle on Thursday.

SANTA CLARA, CA – SEPTEMBER 12: Head coach Jeff Fisher of the Los Angeles Rams yells during their NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on September 12, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Former Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson said Monday evening that the team’s coach, Jeff Fisher, had personally banned him from the sidelines for criticizing the team.

Erick Dickerson Says Rams Coach Jeff Fisher Banned Him From Sideline, Team Denies It

Dickerson, a Hall of Famer who played with the Rams from 1983-87, told ESPN on Monday that Fisher had said he didn’t want the former rusher on the sideline during games because some of his public comments have made players “uncomfortable.”

Fisher and another Rams executive denied having expressed this message to Dickerson.

Kevin Demoff, the team’s chief operating officer, tweeted: “All Rams alumni, and especially Eric Dickerson, are always welcome at our games and practices. I have reached out to Eric to see where a miscommunication may have occurred and to clear up any confusion over his presence at games.

“Most importantly I want to make sure he knows that he is a valued member of [the] Rams’ NFL family. We all share his love for our team and our fans.”

Later, during his scheduled briefing with the media, Fisher was asked about Dickerson’s not being allowed on the sideline and said, “I don’t know where that’s coming from.” Fisher then touched on “a really good conversation” he had with Dickerson “last week” and added: “I’d welcome him in the building. I’d love to have him come in. I’d love to have him come to practice. I’d love to have him come in the meetings.”

Despite all this, Dickerson said he vowed to Fisher that he would never attend a Rams game as long as Fisher is the team’s coach.

“I won’t be at the Coliseum as long as Fisher is coaching,” Dickerson reiterated Monday. “I’m a man of my word, and if I tell you something, I’m going to do it.”

Dickerson, 56, rushed for 7,245 yards in 65 games during his four years with the Rams. He was then traded to the Indianapolis Colts midway through the 1987 season, but remained a fan of the organization upon retirement.

Nevertheless, Dickerson hasn’t minced words about the Rams’ faults. He has harshly criticized the offensive line, talked openly about how boring the offense can be and evened questioned the credentials of quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke, who he doesn’t believe has earned the right to coach a No. 1 overall pick in Jared Goff.

Demoff reportedly called Dickerson on Monday to try to set the record straight, but Dickerson was at a barbecue and didn’t answer. He said that he would return Demoff’s call on Tuesday.

The Rams will next visit the New England Patriots on Sunday.

NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 03: Former NFL player Eric Dickerson hits a tee shot during ARIA Resort & Casino’s 13th Annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational at Shadow Creek on April 3, 2014 in North Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational)

Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher cut wide receiver Deon Long for having a woman in his dorm room. Fisher gave his team two “simple” instructions, the first was to be on time, and the second was that no visitors were allowed back to the dorms.

According to For The Win Fisher is frustrated with the mediocrity of his team and made an example of Long as seen in the HBO series Hard Knocks. 

“I’m not f—ing going 7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7. We have too much talent here for that. We had some 7-9 s–t this morning, and we can’t have that. Deon is gone. That is 7-9 bulls–t, and we don’t need it.”

Fisher has been the head coach for the Rams since 2012, going into his fifth season. In the last four years the Rams haven’t been able to get over the .500 mark, 2013 and 2015 he had regular season records of 7-9, 2014 was 6-10 on the season and 2012 was 7-8-1.

According to the Los Angeles Times the last six teams that have been featured on Hard Knocks have either matched or bettered their record from the previous season. Fisher is hoping the Rams will have the same good fortune.

Long was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles after his release.