LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nate Scheelhaase went from a largely unknown Los Angeles Rams assistant to interviewing for multiple NFL head coaching vacancies to becoming Sean McVay’s offensive coordinator in only
a few months.
Even with that sudden upward trajectory, and the prospect of more to come, Scheelhaase is taking everything in stride.
“If you come to work, do your job every day with excellence, man, there’s good things out there for you,” Scheelhaase said.
Scheelhaase, 35, was already on the coaching fast track before his whirlwind start to 2026. He was a four-year starting quarterback at Illinois and became a football department staffer at his alma mater before moving into an on-field role. In 2018, Scheelhaase headed to Iowa State as an assistant under Matt Campbell, becoming offensive coordinator ahead of the 2022 season.
Scheelhaase joined the Rams in 2024 and spent the past two seasons working on the passing game, helping out McVay and then-offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who became head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in February.
All four of McVay’s previous offensive coordinators are now NFL head coaches, with LaFleur, his brother Matt LaFleur in Green Bay, and Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota all going from the Rams to their current positions. Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen spent one season calling plays for Tampa Bay before he was hired by the Jaguars following his coordinator stint in Los Angeles.
It was that pedigree which likely played a part in the interest Scheelhaase received from at least five teams who interviewed him for their vacancies in January, seemingly with the aim of getting the next standout from the McVay tree as a head coach or offensive coordinator before anyone else.
Instead, Scheelhaase elected to stay with the Rams and was promoted to coordinator in February after LaFleur’s departure.
“I was super excited to do that in a place where I had a lot of familiarity, continuity with the staff and continuity with the players,” he said. “It’s rare to be able to move up in the profession as far as responsibilities go and do that in one place. So, to continue to learn alongside Sean, alongside the staff and to continue to work with these players, it was cool.”
While his previous duties included drawing out plays every week so the offense could put them into practice on the field, Scheelhaase will now be working with McVay to design and execute game plans for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Scheelhaase could not turn down the opportunity to continue learning from McVay, particularly with the Rams coming off a 2025 season where the offense led the NFL in scoring, total yards, yards per play, passing yards, and first downs.
“Being here, it is a great place to just learn to ask questions, to hear things taught in a way that you feel like really makes an impact for our players and certainly for what we’re trying to do as an offense, defense and special teams. Hearing Sean and how he’s done offense for as long as he’s done it, it’s a pretty cool thing,” Scheelhaase said.
Scheelhaase will also have the opportunity to continue working with NFL MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford and star receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. There will also be the chance to help rookie quarterback Ty Simpson acclimate to the NFL after the Rams drafted him 13th overall in April, which could be particularly valuable experience for what Scheelhaase might encounter should he become a head coach.
Even with a bright future ahead, Scheelhaase is keeping his focus on the present. This week, it means getting the most out of organized team activities for Rams players and himself.
“To be able to work alongside Sean in that way and this staff, I feel fortunate because there’s not a better place in my mind to be learning and growing in that way,” he said.
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