The Miami Dolphins have requested to interview Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula for their head coach opening, NFL Network reported Saturday.
Shula’s grandfather, of course, is Pro Football Hall of Fame member Don Shula, the legendary coach who led the Dolphins for 26 years. Under Shula, the Dolphins won five AFC championships and back-to-back Super Bowl games following the 1972 and ‘73 seasons.
The 1972 Dolphins posted a 17-0 mark and are the only NFL team to finish with a perfect record.
The younger Shula, 39, is in his ninth season with the Rams and his second running the defense. In 2024, in Shula’s first season as defensive coordinator, the Rams finished tied for fifth in red zone efficiency (50%) and sixth in goal-to-go efficiency (65.5%).
His father is David Shula, who was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals (1992-96). His uncle, Mike Shula, spent last season as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at South Carolina and has a long NFL and college coaching background. He was the head coach at Alabama (2003-06), immediately preceding the arrival of Nick Saban.
Don Shula, who also coached the Baltimore Colts, is the winningest coach in NFL history with 328 regular-season victories. He has 347 total wins including playoff victories. He died in 2020 at age 90.
The Shulas join the Phillips family (Bum, Wade and Wes) as the only three-generation NFL coaching family, according to multiple sources.
The Dolphins finished the 2025 season with a 7-10 record, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, and fired head coach Mike McDaniel. They are expected to be one of the teams seeking to interview former Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, as well.
