A word of caution. If you’re going to boil down Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula‘s candidacy for the Miami Dolphins‘ head coaching vacancy as nothing more than a sentimental feel-good story or a cheap money grab, I’ve got bad news for you. You’re way off base.

Shula interviewed for the Dolphins’ head coaching position on Friday as a part of three virtual interviews squeezed into a week of preparation for the Rams’ Divisional Round matchup against the Chicago Bears.

For many Dolphins fans, the book on Shula starts (and stops) with that name: “Shula.” It’s the name of the road on which the stadium address is listed. Some fans feel excitement for it. Others feel the prospect of another Shula in South Florida is risky business, given the legacy at hand. Many fans, though, don’t know what to think. The name “Shula” and a casual watch of the most recent Rams game seem to be what too many opinions on this coaching candidate are based on.

So, walk with me. Here are three things you need to know about Chris Shula that have nothing to do with his last name.

Three things to know about Miami Dolphins head coach candidate Chris Shula

Strong series of coaching connections & mentors

The Los Angeles Rams’ website recently put out an excellent piece on Shula and his mentors, none of whom are named Shula. It is, of course, worth noting the influence his family ties had on his football career. But Shula spent three seasons in Los Angeles as an understudy of Wade Phillips from 2017-2019. Phillips, of course, is the son of former NFL head coach Bum Phillips. Wade Phillips took his first NFL job in 1976 and enjoyed stints as a head coach with the Saints (1985, interim), the Broncos (1993-1994), the Bills (1998-2000), and the Falcons. (2003, interim), the Cowboys (2007-2010), and the Texans (2013, interim). Phillips was crowned the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2015 with the Denver Broncos.

Brandon Staley and Raheem Morris are other young coaches who didn’t secure their head coaching opportunities in recent years, but both are well-respected defensive coaches in the league who overlapped with Shula these past 10 years with the Rams. Staley, incredibly, preceded Shula as the defensive coordinator at Division III school John Carroll in 2013 (Shula took over in 2014).

And a coach with a defensive background is also going to require connections on the offensive side of the ball. Shula picked a great guy to buddy up with at Miami (Ohio) during his college playing years. He and McVay go all the way back to 2004 when Shula arrived on campus.

McVay has pushed so many coaches out into the NFL from his staff; Shula will have that working in his favor as he assembles a sound assistant staff on the offensive side for any team that puts in a call for him as their head coach.

Making the most of what he’s given

The Rams’ starting secondary is comprised of: a fourth-round pick in 2022, a sixth-round pick in 2022, an undrafted rookie from the 2024 season, a former first-round pick bust claimed off the waiver wire in December of 2024, and a free agent playing on a $4.5 million per season deal.

There’s no star player here.

The linebackers? Troy Reeder was an undrafted rookie in 2019 who latched on with the team under Shula’s guidance, pin-balled to the Chargers and Vikings before returning to the Rams. Another undrafted rookie is Shaun Dolac from this year’s class. ANOTHER undrafted rookie is Omar Speights, a starter in his second NFL season, and free-agent signing Nate Landman, who signed a three-year, $22.5 million contract with the Rams in March.

Even on the defensive line, the draft investments for Shula’s front include:

– One first-round pick: Jared Verse (2024)
– One second-round pick: Braden Fiske (2024)
– Three third-round picks: Kobie Turner (2023), Byron Young (2023), Josaiah Stewart (2025)
– Two fifth-round picks: Nick Hampton (2023), Ty Hamilton (2025)

Plus, 2025 free agent signing Poona Ford, who is in the first year of a three-year, $27.6 million contract. There’s no Aaron Donald here. There’s no Jalen Ramsey here. There’s no Von Miller here. This is a Rams defense that is 29th in the NFL in cash spending in 2025. In 2024, they were 28th in cash spent ($45.4 million in payroll).

And despite all of this youth, the Rams, since the start of the 2024 season when Chris Shula took over as the defensive coordinator, rank eighth in the NFL in defensive EPA per game. They’re third in defensive red zone efficiency, 10th in defensive success rate, and third in total pressures (fourth in pressure rate) while blitzing at the fourth-lowest frequency in the league. Sixth in percentage of opponent dropbacks that end in sacks. And seventh in takeaways (50).

If you see “Shula” and your brain stops there, you’re doing it wrong.

The scheme

The Rams, under Shula, do not blitz a ton. They rank fourth lowest in blitz rate over the last two years (19.8%). If you want to play this defensive front, you need athletic disruptors up front. The front-line players are Verse, Fiske, Turner, and Young. They’re all compact, powerful, explosive rushers who can collapse blockers and squeeze the pocket or shoot a gap and penetrate the pocket.

It is predominantly a zone scheme; nearly 80% of the coverage calls over the past two seasons have been some variation of zone. They’re top-eight in QQH (quarter, quarter, half) split field coverage — the staple of the Vic Fangio scheme.

They’re also top-eight in Cover 3 and Cover 2. The Rams force opposing quarterbacks to do much of their work post-snap through coverage rotations. The hope is that they can slow down the quarterback’s timing and allow that disruptive front to get home.

And they are not afraid to play light. The Rams are among the league leaders over the past two seasons of playing “DIME” personnel, with six defensive backs on the field at once. A collection of diverse inside/outside coverage defenders with the ability to play eyes to the quarterback is the key.