Rams Co-Owner Says Money Not A Factor In Coaching Search

Rams Plan To Hire Coach Suggested By GM Billy Devaney, Regardless Of Price

Rams co-Owner Chip Rosenbloom said that GM Billy Devaney is "not under any financial restrictions in the search for a new head coach," according to Jim Thomas of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. Rosenbloom said, "We may be one of the few teams in the league that has not said money is a factor in the decision. Although I do think that some salaries are out of whack, if Billy thinks the best guy will cost $6[M] a year, that would be who we hire." NFL sources previously had said the Rams' price range would be $2-2.5M annually. Rosenbloom also said that "neither the ongoing process of paying estate taxes following the death of his mother, Georgia Frontiere, nor the possible future sale of the team has any effect on how much money the Rams spend." Rosenbloom: "It's not accurate to say we're cheap or we're trying to save money because we want to sell the team. If we were doing that, we didn't have to fire the coach (Scott Linehan), we didn't have to make changes in the front office." Rosenbloom added that the Rams "are in the bottom fourth of the league in terms of revenue" -- the team receives little in parking revenue and its suite prices "are much lower than what teams such as Dallas and New England command." Also, the Rams' income from local radio and TV is "minuscule compared to high-revenue teams." Thomas reported Rosenbloom's plan "was to take this year to watch and learn, and avoid rash judgments." But in firing Linehan in September, Rosenbloom "broke form, firing him four games into the season -- a move that cost the team more than $2[M] in unpaid salary." Meanwhile, Rosenbloom "strongly defended" the decision to have longtime team President John Shaw, who resigned last week, sit in on final interviews for potential coaching candidates. Rosenbloom: "John is not a factor in how we're choosing a coach. John is not making the choice as to who the coach will be. So I don't know what's wrong with John Shaw sitting in" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 1/3).