Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Sports

Rams welcome McDaniels, QB coach retiring

Associated Press
Published | Updated

ST. LOUIS – A day after hiring former Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator, the St. Louis Rams are losing quarterbacks coach Dick Curl to retirement.

Curl was with the Rams the last two seasons, also carrying the title of assistant head coach, and aided in the development of rookie Sam Bradford.

Coach Steve Spagnuolo said Wednesday he wasn't sure whether there would be a replacement for the 70-year-old Curl, or whether McDaniels would take on that role when he replaces Pat Shurmur, who was hired as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. McDaniels' brother, Ben, was quarterbacks coach in Denver this season.

"Josh and I are going to talk about that," Spagnuolo said. "We really didn't have that discussion because this is fairly new, but when he gets here we'll talk about it."

Spagnuolo said he kept Bradford informed during the process, "just to say 'Trust me, I'll make the right decision,' and said Bradford told him he'd have no problem adapting to a new system.

"He said, 'Well, you know what, I came in out of college and didn't know anything and learned an offense, and didn't do too bad,'" Spagnuolo said. "He wasn't fazed at all. Sam can play in any offense."

Spagnuolo said the first item of business in his search was recalling which coaches he's had the most trouble defending throughout his NFL career. He said the schemes created by McDaniels and the 34-year-old's success with Tom Brady and Matt Cassel made the hire an easy choice.

Spagnuolo was Giants defensive coordinator when they upset the unbeaten Patriots, with McDaniels as offensive coordinator, in the Super Bowl after the 2007 season. This season, the Rams won a 36-33 shootout at Denver.

"I just did a little study of the toughest schemes, the people that gave us problems in defending, and it led me directly to Josh," Spagnuolo said. "I think his record as an offensive coordinator speaks for itself, I think his work with quarterbacks is well documented and I think he's going to be a great fit for the Rams going forward."