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The Los Angeles Rams are changing John Bonamego’s role from special teams coordinator to “senior coaching assistant” and replacing him with veteran special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis, according to Albert Breer and later confirmed by the team.
We've agreed to terms with Joe DeCamillis.
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 21, 2021
Join us in welcoming our new Special Teams Coordinator! » https://t.co/GBYn1zRni0 pic.twitter.com/ecG85Wm1lD
Sources: The Rams are hiring the well-respected Joe DeCamillis away from Jacksonville to be their new special teams coordinator. John Bonamego is moving into a new role as a senior coaching assistant.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 21, 2021
Really solid add here to a staff that's got good depth already.
DeCamillis has been an NFL special teams coach since 1988 and he most recently served that role under Doug Marrone in Jacksonville from 2017-2020. The Jaguars had SIX different players attempt field goals and/or extra points last season and as the worst team in the NFL, had an unsurprisingly high amount of punts — and had to bring in veteran Dustin Colquitt late in the year.
Bonamego replaced star special teams coordinator John Fassel last year after Fassel left for the Dallas Cowboys. The Rams struggled to find the right field goal kicker until Matt Gay was signed midseason and results were mixed in other areas of special teams too. How much of a negative impact Bonamego had on the unit is impossible to know, but obviously Sean McVay wanted to go in a different, more experienced direction.
Coincidentally, Bonamego had two different stints as the Jaguars special teams coordinator many years prior to joining the Rams.