Nate Scheelhaase Is More Than Ready to Be Rams OC

The Los Angeles Rams had a few moving pieces this offseason with their personnel and coaching staff. One major one was losing offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

LaFleur was the Rams' offensive coordinator over the last few seasons, and his shot at becoming a head coach came about this offseason with the Rams' NFC West rival, the Arizona Cardinals. LaFleur took the head coaching gig with the Cardinals, and that left the Rams with a hole to fill on the coaching staff.

The Rams did not have to look far or outside of the building to find their next offensive coordinator. Head coach Sean McVay's coaching tree has been getting pulled from for the last few seasons, and it is a good one. LaFleur was the latest this offseason. But the Rams had no problem finding an offensive coordinator, and they went with pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.

Jul 23, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Scheelhaase was not a guarateed to come back to the Rams this offseason because he was getting interviews for head coaching jobs as well. Scheelhaase came back to the Rams and will be the offensive coordinator, and better his chances next offseason to get a head coaching job. It will not be shocking to the Rams or many that they might have to find another offensive coordinator after next season.

Nate Scheelhaase next up on the McVay Coaching Tree

"I've been on record there in L.A. a lot just talking about what I feel in Nate Scheelhaase, so that was a no-brainer," said Cardinals head coach Matt LaFleur "Obviously, he's prepped for that. He sat in with Sean and I in a handful of game planning (meetings) and stuff like that, so he kind of knows what that 3 a.m. wake up call looks like Wednesday through Friday. But he's a stud of a coach."

November 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Having the chemistry that Scheelhaase and McVay already have, it is going to help this Rams team next year. Whenever a team brings a new member to the coaching staff at the offensive coordinator position, there is always a learning curve or adjustments. Scheelhaase knows what he is going to get from the Rams players, and McVay and the players know what it is like getting coached by Scheelhaase. It makes everyone's jobs easier having a familiar face.

It gets easier on McVay because he can focus on other areas of being a head coach. McVay trusts what Scheelhaase does as a coach, and he is going to be a good head coach in the future in this league.

Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images