The Arizona Cardinals are hiring former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as the team's new head coach.
The Los Angeles Rams will be in the market for a new offensive coordinator, as Mike LaFleur has landed his first head coaching job with the Arizona Cardinals.
After an exhaustive search that saw the Cardinals mull over multiple options, they go with LaFleur, who has been with the Rams since the 2023 season.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported on the hiring, stating:
"The Cardinals plan to hire Mike LaFleur as their head coach, sources tell me and @RapSheet. LaFleur, 38, spent the past three seasons as Sean McVay’s OC with the Rams. Now, Matt LaFleur’s younger brother gets his shot to run the show in Arizona."
LaFleur has been instrumental in the Rams' success, including aiding Matthew Stafford in having his arguably best season to date.
Now, LaFleur gets a chance to potentially mentor either Jacoby Brissett or whoever the Cardinals plan to have under center in 2026.
LaFleur began his coaching journey in 2009, as he landed a job as an offensive assistant with Elmhurst. From there, he would spend the next five seasons coaching at the collegiate level, but landed his first NFL gig in 2014 as an offensive intern with the Cleveland Browns.
In 2015, LaFleur moved to the Atlanta Falcons, where he landed an offensive assistant position, keeping him there through the 2016 season.
In 2017, LaFleur moved to the San Francisco 49ers, where he served as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
After multiple seasons as an offensive assistant and passing game coordinator, LaFleur got his first chance to be an offensive coordinator with the New York Jets from 2021 to 2022, and he then joined the Rams during the 2023 season.
LaFleur is a strong offensive mind, and at only 38 years old, he is now one of the youngest head coaches in the NFL. With his intimate knowledge of the Rams, it might make things more interesting as he will play his former team twice every season.
The Rams will need to start looking for a new offensive coordinator very quickly, as multiple teams have been busy interviewing and nabbing many of the solid assistant coaches throughout this hiring cycle.