When the Los Angeles Rams hired former Washington OC Sean McVay to take over as the team's head coach in 2017, everyone expected significant changes would soon be afoot. But perhaps one of the lesser recognized moves at the time was hiring the venerable Wade Phillips to take over as the team's defensive coordinator. He was brought in to become a defensive coordinator who, as he had some experience as an NFL head coach, could be a sounding board for Coach McVay.
Best of all, Coach Phillips was a bit autonomous. That is, he could manage the Rams defensive strategies and personnel needs, allowing Coach McVay to get his arms fully around all aspects of running an entire football team while still allowing him to stay offensive-centric.