Rams DC Chris Shula Models Himself After Grandfather Don Shula

The Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator shared memories of his legendary grandfather

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross with Don Shula and Dan Marino before game at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on December 21, 2014. The Dolphins were docked a first-round pick in 2023 and a third-rounder in 2024 and owner Stephen Ross was suspended through mid-October and fined $1.5 million for damage to the integrity of the game, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Tuesday. The penalties largely surround the DolphinsÕ flirtation with quarterback Tom Brady Ñ not only before | Allen Eyestone / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Miami Dolphins head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer, the late great Don Shula, is the NFL's all-time leader in wins, he only person to ever coach an NFL team to an undefeated season, and his "no name" defense brought together a group of guys to put forth a legendary championship effort in Miami.

Rams fans saw Shula's grandson Chris emulated his grandfather's work as his "no name" defense consisting of journeyman veterans, first and second-year players, plus a plethora of undrafted free agents, fired the Rams into the playoffs via team unity and valiant efforts.

It should have been no surprise, considering Chris Shula models his style after the Don. After Rams OTA's, Shula spoke about his relationship with his grandfather and what he absorbed from him.

"Definitely. It’s a lot of the stuff you hear stories about almost every single day, especially coaching in the NFL. It’s one of my favorite parts — playing a road game, someone grabbing you and saying, ‘Hey, you know I coached against your grandpa,’ or ‘I worked for your grandpa,’ or things like that. He was a grandfather to me," Shula said.

"Obviously, a ton of interaction — not necessarily while he was coaching. When he was coaching the Dolphins and retired, I was living in Cincinnati still. So obviously not as much. Then we moved to South Florida, and he was living in Miami. So, I obviously got pretty close with him and he’s the best guy. My uncle and my dad always kind of said about him, ‘Hey, you could set your watch on where he was going to be on a certain day.’ You knew exactly… he was so disciplined, you knew exactly what he was going to be doing every single day. I tried to model myself [after him]."

From a coaching standpoint, Shula added.

"Yeah — trust and get smart players and let them go play. That’s always the thing: give them a good game plan and get out of the way. That’s what we try to do."

And he does it well. Shula's defense was a coaching masterclass, making Aaron Donald's departure easier than it should have been. Now that he has all the roster pieces he needs, expect an evolved defensive output in 2025.

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