Cardinals hire Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as head coach

Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times on Feb 1, 2026

Published in Football

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LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay goes through it nearly every year.

The Rams have a successful season and other NFL teams raid his coaching staff.

Mike LaFleur, the Rams' offensive coordinator for the last three seasons, is the latest to parlay his time with McVay into an NFL head coaching opportunity.

The Arizona Cardinals on Sunday hired LaFleur as head coach.

LaFleur, 38, is the seventh former McVay assistant to land an NFL head coach job.

LaFleur's brother Matt, was the Rams' offensive coordinator in McVay's first season in 2017 and then called plays for the Tennessee Titans in 2018 before he was hired by the Green Bay Packers.

The LaFleurs are the second tandem of head-coaching brothers currently in the NFL along with Jim (Chargers) and John Harbaugh (New York Giants).

Rams assistants who made the jump directly to head coach were Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals, Brandon Staley (Chargers), Kevin O'Connell (Minnesota Vikings), Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons) and Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars).

This will be LaFleur's first job as a head coach at any level. LaFleur, like McVay, began his coaching career working under Kyle Shanahan.

LaFleur coached with the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers before he became offensive coordinator and play-caller for the New York Jets in 2021.

LaFleur was let go after the 2022 season and joined McVay's staff in 2023. McVay is the Rams' play-caller.

With the Cardinals, LaFleur inherits a team that finished at the bottom of the NFC West in 2025 with a 3-14 record — well behind the Seahawks, Rams and 49ers at the top of the division.

LaFleur's Rams exit could create an opportunity for passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase to move into the offensive coordinator role. Scheelhaase has interviewed for multiple head coaching positions.

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