Rams' coaching search likely to focus on up-and-coming assistants such as Kyle Shanahan, Josh McDaniels

By VINCENT BONSIGNORE / STAFF COLUMNIST

It was bound to happen, of course. The Rams have a head coach opening and a need to make a big splash considering the sizable stage provided by the second-biggest market in the country.

With season tickets to sell and PSLs to pitch and a new fan base to entice and plenty of eyeballs standing on the sidelines just waiting for a reason to be turned, it made sense to assume the Rams would reach for the stars to grab everyone’s attention with a big-splash hire.

And so the narrative and rumors immediately began churning upon the Rams cutting ties with Jeff Fisher.

Jim Harbaugh was simply a phone call and a sizable chunk of Stan Kroenke’s billions away from leaving Michigan for Los Angeles.

Pete Carroll was a primary focus. Jon Gruden was interested. Sean Payton was on the short list.

Never mind all the above “candidates” already have great coaching jobs or, in Gruden's case, a cushy, high-paying TV gig he’d have to have his head examined to want to leave for the grind and rigors and headaches of coaching in the NFL.

Big names equal plenty of clicks, don’t forget. And if pushing your client’s name out there means getting a raise or a couple of years tacked on to the current contract, hey, all the better.

So let the rumors begin.

Or, as a high-ranking NFL official who’s been down this road before sighed this week, “Next week it will be Urban Meyer and Nick Saban.”

In other words, nonsense.

Look, history has shown coaching searches sometimes take wild turns on a dime. So it behooves everyone to hold off eliminating anyone just yet.

But there is a world of difference between possible and probable, so best not to get caught up in the big stars residing in far away galaxies.

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