The Ravens have completed an interview with Los Angeles Rams Pass Game Coordinator Nate Scheelhaase for their head coach opening.
Here are five things to know about Scheelhaase:
He could be next on the Sean McVay coaching tree.
Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay is widely regarded as one of the sharpest offensive minds in football and a great head coach.
Hired at 30 years old, McVay became the youngest head coach in NFL history to go to and win a Super Bowl.
Though he still isn't 40 years old yet, McVay already has a growing coaching tree that includes offensive-minded head coaches Matt LeFleur (Green Bay Packers), Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals), Kevin O'Connell (Minnesota Vikings), and Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars).
Scheelhaase could be next, and McVay spoke highly of him in December.
"He's a great coach," McVay said, per SI.com. "He has great leadership, great capacity for the game, similar to a lot of our other great coaches. First and foremost, he has great character. There's an ability to be able to connect with all different types.
"There's an ability to own the game from an all-22 perspective. He's excellent. I've really enjoyed working with him. He's a great person, first and foremost, and he has a great family. He's been outstanding, working with the receivers, but he has a tremendous impact on our team and our group as a whole."
He has helped Matthew Stafford have his best season.
It's not often that a quarterback has their best year at age 37, but that's the case for Matthew Stafford, who Scheelhaase worked with this season.
Stafford led the league in passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46). The Rams had the NFL's top passing attack, averaging 268.1 yards per game.
Stafford is the favorite to win the NFL's MVP award, in part thanks to Scheelhaase's work with the passing game.
Scheelhaase is particularly applauded for his work with pre-snap motion, which the Rams used at the eighth-highest rate in the league this season, per Next Gen Stats.
He helped take a premier wide receiver to another level.
The Rams knew they had a star in wide receiver Puka Nacua when he exploded for nearly 1,500 receiving yards as a rookie.
But Nacua hit another level this season, leading the NFL in receptions with 129 while posting 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Stafford-Nacua connection thrived, but Scheelhaase also did a good job working in enough opportunities for veteran Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams (60 receptions, 789 yards, 14 touchdowns) and tight end Colby Parkinson (43 receptions, 408 yards, eight touchdowns).
He was a dual-threat college quarterback.
Scheelhaase, 35, can relate to quarterbacks in part because he was one. And he has even more in common with a dual-threat quarterback such as Lamar Jackson.
Scheelhaase starred at Illinois, where he finished his career as the school's all-time leader in total offense. Over his four seasons (2010-2013), he threw for 8,568 yards and 55 touchdowns and ran for 2,066 yards and 19 more scores.
He's one of only two players in Big Ten history to throw for over 8,000 passing yards and run for 2,000 yards.
Scheelhaase returned to Illinois as a coach in 2015, then flipped to Iowa State in 2018 and worked his way up as a running backs and wide receivers coach until becoming their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023.
His tenure overlapped with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar, though Scheelhaase is particularly credited with helping to coach up wide receivers Jaylin Noel and Xavier Hutchinson.
He has been a fast-rising star in coaching.
Scheelhaase is a fast riser in the coaching profession, but he's been getting interest and strong reviews for quite some time.
Scheelhaase was the heir apparent to Head Coach Matt Campbell at Iowa State before McVay plucked him to come to the NFL.
"I remember Coach Campbell, after meeting him for the first time, called me and said: 'This guy's the real deal. He's going to have a bright future,'" Iowa State Athletic Director Jammie Pollard said, according to Sports Illustrated. "And I think it really was born on, he just has a very mature presence about him that's very sincere.
"My understanding was the Rams had him targeted. I mean, I don't think it was any secret around college sports that Nate was really good, was a rising star. I mean, he walks into a room and – some guys walk into the room and they're salesmen. Nate can just walk into the room and he's kind of just got that glow, that twinkle in his eye. He can let his actions do all his talking, and some people just have that and he's got it."
The Jaguars and first-year head coach Coen reportedly had interest in bringing him to Jacksonville as his offensive coordinator, but Scheelhaase turned it down.
