Eric Henderson Says Leaving Rams For USC Was ‘No-Brainer’ For Him

Not only do the Los Angeles Rams need to prepare for free agency and the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, they’ve got work to do to fill out head coach Sean McVay’s coaching staff.

McVay’s already found a replacement for Raheem Morris in Chris Shula, but other positions on the defensive side of the football need attention. Aside from Morris, the biggest loss for McVay and the coaching staff was Eric Henderson, who left his post as the Rams defensive line coach/run game coordinator to become the co-defensive coordinator for USC.

Henderson joined Los Angeles back in 2019 and quickly became a valued and highly-respected member on McVay’s coaching staff. There were some rumblings that Henderson would even be promoted to become the team’s new defensive coordinator before he decided to join the Trojans.

Henderson discussed his choice and revealed that it was easier than some thought to make the dip into the collegiate ranks. “It was a no-brainer for me. … It just made sense,” Henderson said. “It’s natural for me. I love meeting people. I wanted, quote-unquote, all the smoke when you talk about going back to college to get involved in the recruiting process.”

Coaching at the college ranks has different challenges compared to the pros, and it sounds like Henderson wanted the opportunity to be more involved with the recruiting process and building a sustainable defense at USC. While he surely had a voice in decisions with the Rams, the Trojans offer more agency and sway within the program.

Henderson was spearheaded one of the best defensive lines in football during his time in Los Angeles, so finding a suitable replacement will be difficult for McVay. Although he’s got an eye for finding talent, McVay will need to nail the defensive line coach hire to keep the Rams ahead of the pack.

There haven’t been any reported candidates for the job, though that’s expected to change shortly as the offseason calendar flips to March.

Rams expected to hire Kansas State’s Chili Davis as assistant special teams coach

Aside from the defense, L.A.’s special teams coaching staff also lost a key member as assistant special teams coach Jeremy Springer. Springer left the Rams to become the special teams coordinator for the New England Patriots, quite the promotion for him despite the team’s struggles in that phase of the game last season.

However, it looks like the Rams already have a replacement in mind as they’re expected to hire Kansas State’s Chili Davis to be their new assistant special teams coach.