Rams Have Their Defensive Coordinator

[bud_5403]

According to mutiple sources around the league the Rams have came to an agreement with Ken Flajole, Carolina Panthers Linebackers Coach.

This excerpt is brought to you courtesy of the Gaston Gazette

"Linebackers coach Ken Flajole has agreed to join the St. Louis Rams as their new defensive coordinator, while defensive line coach Sal Sunseri has joined the University of Alabama staff, reuniting with Nick Saban, whom he coached with in 2002. The Panthers are already in the process of interviewing potential replacements to fill those roles. "Anytime you lose two quality guys it's always tough," Trgovac said. "But we're down here talking to people and we'll move on." The Panthers have offered most of the rest of their assistant coaches one-year contracts to return and the vast majority are likely to sign, or have already signed to return, according to league sources. Trgovac declined to talk about Peppers' announcement on Saturday that he doesn't want to sign a long-term contract with the Panthers and wants to play in a different scheme."

So Ram fans, how do you feel about the hire?

[THOLTFAN81]

LOVE IT!!!

[Curly Horns]

Is it true?

[eldfan]

Don't know much about the guy, if it is correct.

[Curly Horns]

Ken Flajole

Linebackers


Coaching
Once again in 2007, Ken Flajole's ability to adapt to change enabled the Panthers linebackers to be one of the team's strongest units. That flexibility also played a role in the development of Jon Beason into an all-rookie performer who switched from outside to middle linebacker four games into the season and still set a team record with 160 tackles.

Improvisation is nothing new for Flajole as last year marked the fifth consecutive campaign that Flajole had to cajole the best out of a different starting lineup. In 2006 with Thomas Davis playing his first season at linebacker and Na'il Diggs a newcomer to the team as starters, Flajole lost middle linebacker Dan Morgan in the first game of the regular season. Nevertheless, the team's linebackers performed at a high level throughout the season and played an integral part in Carolina's seventh place defensive ranking in the League.

In 2005, the Panthers defense ranked third in the NFL in yards allowed while advancing to the NFC Championship game. The previous season, two of Flajole's linebackers, Dan Morgan and Mark Fields, were named to the Pro Bowl. In his first season, Carolina advanced to Super Bowl XXXVIII, where Morgan set a team record with 25 tackles.

Joining Carolina in 2003 from Seattle as a defensive assistant, Flajole was pressed into duty during training camp to assist Sam Mills with the Panthers linebackers. To the credit of both men, the linebacking corps remained a team strength despite the season-ending loss of Fields with illness and injuries at the middle linebacker position. Among the linebacking superlatives were Morgan's club-record 25 tackles in Super Bowl XXXVIII and Will Witherspoon's 114 regular-season tackles, second-highest on the team.

Flajole came to the Panthers with five years of NFL coaching experience. He served three seasons as defensive backs coach and one as linebackers coach with Seattle from 1999-02 and one as a defensive assistant with Green Bay in 1998. As defensive backs coach for Seattle in 1999, Flajole's secondary led the NFL with 30 interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns. He spent the 2000 campaign as the Seahawks linebackers coach and returned to oversee the defensive backs in 2001 and 2002.

Before entering the NFL as a defensive quality control assistant with Green Bay in 1998, Flajole spent 21 years coaching in the college ranks. He served as Nevada's co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach for two seasons from 1996-97. His 1996 defense finished first in the conference in total defense, scoring defense and passing defense.

Prior to his duties at Nevada, Flajole held coaching positions at several other universities, beginning with his alma mater, Pacific Lutheran, from 1977-78, and then Washington in 1979. Other stops included Montana from 1980-85, Texas-El Paso from 1986-88, Missouri from 1989-93, Richmond in 1994 and Hawaii in 1995, holding defensive coordinator positions at Montana and Richmond.

Playing and Personal
An all-conference linebacker at Wenatchee (WA) Valley Community College and Pacific Lutheran, Flajole earned a bachelor's degree in education from Pacific Lutheran in 1976. Born in Seattle, he and his wife, Teri, have two daughters, Kelly and Kori.

History
Linebacker Wenatchee (WA) Valley C.C. 1973-74, Pacific Lutheran 1975-76. College coach: Pacific Lutheran 1977-78, Washington 1979, Montana 1980-85, Texas-El Paso 1986-88, Missouri 1989-93, Richmond 1994, Hawaii 1995, Nevada 1996-97. Pro coach: Green Bay Packers 1998, Seattle Seahawks 1999-2002, joined Panthers in 2003.

[RockinRam]

Nice. This makes me even more excited for next season. Hopefully Spags and Flajole can together instill a defensive philosophy in St.Louis, and make us a winning team again.

[Mooselini]

Man. This is a good offseason so far. I love the pick.

He coached Beason who came out pretty good. I'm not sure if he coached Witherspoon but it looks pretty positive for us.

[shower beers]

Anyone have an idea of how much say Spags had in this decision?

[HornIt]

Anyone have an idea of how much say Spags had in this decision?

Spags probably had full say in it. He's hiring his staff.

It was reported that Spags wanted to choose his own staff and Devaney has said he believed in letting the coach pick his coaches too.

[rams 24/7]

No more Spoon In The Middle!

[Guam rammer]

Panthers have always had some strong LB units. We've got some playmakers from them in Whitherspoon and Draft so this should be really interesting to see. We'll probably get a visit this offseason from Peppers but he'll be the pick of the litter and we most likely won't be able to afford him.

[moloch41]

I don't really know much about his defensive philosophy and you really can't tell just by his ability to coach linebackers. I know Spags likes to blitz to get pressure- which he learned from Jim Johnson- so I'm thinking that he wouldn't pick a DC that likes to only rush the front four and then when that's not working- rush three. I really don't want another Jim Haslett here.

[Tony Banks]

I'll admit, I know nothing about this guy, except for what I just read. But, linebackers coach of the Panthers sounds like a pretty credible position to me. I'm glad we're getting coaches that are coming from successful staffs.

[RAMPAGE!]

Well time will tell, but I have a good feeling spags is plugging in key pieces to his puzzle. Now we need billy d to work his FA and draft magic.

[RAMPAGE!]

No more Spoon In The Middle!

NOPE he will be set free back to his natural position and be wreaking havoc all over the field