Jimmy Lake, the LA Rams’ newly appointed defensive backs coordinator who also serves as the pass game coordinator, has a history with the Rams’ newly acquired cornerback, Trent McDuffie.
Jimmy Lake was Trent McDuffie’s coach during his three-year stay at the University of Washington, first as the Huskies’ defensive coordinator in 2019, then as the head coach in 2020 and ’21.
In 2019, McDuffie’s first with Washington, Lake’s defense limited opposing offenses to 19.4 points per game despite losing nine
defensive starters from the previous year. In 2021, McDuffie earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors.
McDuffie knows the work it’s going to take to play in Jimmy’s system;
“(He’s going to) truly pour into this DB room, which I love,” McDuffie said about Jimmy on June 8. “Coming from college, Coach Lake was someone that taught me how to play corner, taught me how to see the football field from a coach’s perspective. He’s going to add a lot of great things to this DB room that is young, that is hungry, that wants to get better. He’s a perfectionist, and I think we need to have a coach that’s a perfectionist and that’s going to work on the details day in and day out.”
An interesting side note in Trent McDuffie’s full-circle acquisition by the Rams: he and Quentin Lake (no relation to Jimmy) played together on the same high school team, Mater Dei, in Santa Ana for one season.
I’m thinking they got a deal on those helmets.
Jimmy Lake (cue music)
This list, compiled by Pro Football Reference, perfectly illustrates the arduous journey coaches can take to reach the NFL. As I’m researching his journey, there’s a Beatles tune playing in my head. Kudos to anyone who guesses the tune and posts in the comments!
At Eastern Washington, his alma mater, Lake was a defensive backs coach from 2000-2003, after which he moved up to the Washington Huskies for one year, still with defensive backs, and then to Montana State.
At Montana, Lake’s defense led the Big Sky conference, allowing just 165.6 passing yards per game. The NFL was watching, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed him as their assistant DB coach, where he stayed for two years working under Monte Kiffin.
Onward and upward to the Detroit Lions as their DB coach. Those are the infamous 0-16 Lions. Joe Barry, the Lions’ defensive coordinator at the time, also got his feet wet under the legendary Kiffin.
Back to Tampa working with Raheem Morris in Morris’ first head coaching position for two years. Yet another good defensive brain to learn from.
From Tampa he returned to college ball for ten years. Two years at Boise St. and back once again to Washington.
Lake rose up through the ranks, finally becoming the head coach following the unexpected resignation of Chris Petersen. In his first year as a head coach, in the covid shortened four game season, the Huskies went 3-1 and won the Pac-12 North Division title.
In his six prior seasons at Washington – two as defensive backs coach, two as co-defensive coordinator and the last two as defensive coordinator – Lake has earned a reputation as a teacher, recruiter and tactician, helping the UW become one of the strongest and most consistent defensive teams – and specifically one of the top secondaries – in the nation.
The team’s performance and a sideline scuffle led to Lake’s firing at the end of the following season.
Back to the NFL
2023, Lake returns to the NFL with the Rams as Assistant Head Coach, perhaps at the suggestion of Raheem Morris. At the end of the year, he follows Morris to Atlanta as the Defensive Coordinator, where Morris has been named head coach.
The year did not go well; Morris was fired, and Lake returned to the Rams in 2025 as Sr. Defensive Assistant.
The 2025 Rams defense was ‘almost good enough’. The defensive backs, in particular, have taken the brunt of the blame for the team’s inability to hold late leads.
The head office did some ‘self-scouting’ in the post-season and rectified the DB situation by acquiring 3 time Pro Bowler Trent McDuffie and his partner in the backfield from Kansas City, Jaylen Watson.
Jimmy Lake was elevated to defensive backs coordinator this year, in addition to his role as pass game coordinator. The front office has given him and Chris Shula all of the missing pieces to make this defense one of the best in the league.
Nothing short of a Super Bowl can be called a success this year, for the Rams, and the defense will play a major role in achieving that goal.
Jimmy Lake has a glorious opportunity to finally achieve a lifelong goal.
