Scheelhaase: Rams Coordinator's Past as a Youth Pastor Shaped His NFL Rise

The transition from the pulpit to the NFL sideline is rare, but Nate Scheelhaase has built a career on the overlap between faith and athletics. The Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator was promoted to the role last winter, taking the helm of a Super Bowl contender with an unconventional résumé.

Scheelhaase, 35, moved to Louisville, Kentucky, in 2014 after concluding a four-year starting career at the University of Illinois. He joined Southeast Christian Church to work with teenagers, visiting dozens of high schools and serving as a chaplain for two football teams. His work focused on building trust and encouraging students to pursue goals beyond themselves.

He did not initially plan to coach. After marrying a few months before retiring from playing, he doubted the profession suited a young family. He sought advice from Jason Epperson, the Illinois football chaplain who had also taken a position at Southeast. Epperson informed him of an opening for a youth pastor, a role that led to his current path.

Local observers noted his natural fit for mentorship. Chris Burke, an ESPN baseball analyst who lived nearby, watched Scheelhaase in pickup games and remarked that he looked perfectly suited for the job. Scheelhaase also formed a close bond with Nate Hobbs, an eighth-grader whose father had recently died. Scheelhaase drove Hobbs to practices, and the two became close friends. Hobbs is now a defensive back for the San Francisco 49ers.

Andrew Coverdale, who coached at Trinity High School and now works at Kentucky, described Scheelhaase as possessing confident humility. Coverdale noted that Scheelhaase did not expect students to listen simply because of his college playing history, emphasizing the need for positive adult mentors.

A specific moment in 2014 at Eastern High School shifted his perspective. Scheelhaase delivered a speech to football players that received little response, while the head coach’s subsequent pregame talk captivated the room. That contrast highlighted the influence a coach holds. By the 2015 season, Scheelhaase was coaching running backs at Illinois, applying the same trust-building techniques he used in Louisville.

He served as a coordinator at Iowa State in 2023 before joining Sean McVay’s staff as an offensive assistant. The role involved using software to draw plays for McVay. In 2025, McVay described Scheelhaase as a special coach and a rising star. Scheelhaase noted that his life still revolves around Sundays, a rhythm established during his time in Louisville.

Other NFL figures have followed similar paths between ministry and coaching. Frank Reich, who attended seminary, and Rocky Seto, a former assistant who became a pastor, have both moved between the two fields. Scheelhaase’s journey reflects a growing trend of coaches drawing on pastoral experience to develop players.