Los Angeles Rams will not retain defensive coordinator Wade Phillips
The Los Angeles Rams will be looking for a new defensive coordinator.
And an NFL coaching veteran is suddenly available.
Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has been told he will not be retained for the upcoming season, he announced on Twitter. Phillips' contract was set to expire at the end of the month.
"I have been informed by the Rams that my contract will not be renewed," Phillips wrote on Twitter. "I want to thank them for the opportunity to be a part of their success the last 3years."
Phillips added he still wants to coach.
The Rams later confirmed the move in a release.
"His wealth of experience, sound advice, and helpful demeanor has been invaluable to our coaches and players, and also has set an example for me as a head coach and a leader of men," Rams coach Sean McVay said in a statement.
Phillips, 72, has 42 years of NFL coaching experience, including parts of 12 seasons that he spent as an interim or head coach. He was long known for his ability to turn around units that had been struggling, but the Rams; defense underwhelmed this season despite being loaded with high-priced veterans. Notably, the Rams pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire former Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who made his Rams debut in Week 7.
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Los Angeles remained in the playoff hunt, albeit with slim chances, but the defense unraveled late in the season, allowing an average of 34 points a game over the final three weeks of the year.
The Rams ranked 13th in total defense (339.6 yards allowed per game) and 17th in scoring (22.8 points per game) in 2019.
The separation comes just one season after Phillips' defense helped limit the New England Patriots to 13 points in Super Bowl LIII. The Rams, however, only scored three points in the loss. In 2019, the Rams finished 9-7 and did not return to the postseason
Phillips joined the Rams in 2017 after a two-year stint with the Broncos. He helped engineer a defense that was the strength of the team that won Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season.
Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes.