CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) – From an unknown to one of the hottest young names in the National Football League. Shane Steichen has had a meteoric rise through the ranks over the course of the last decade.
Once he got to college at UNLV, it took little time for Steichen to realize that coaching was his calling.
“It was around my freshman or sophomore year, I wasn’t very good at the time and I figured I’m probably not going to the NFL so let’s get the coaching hat on and start rolling,” said Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. “I really enjoy the scheme part of it and being in meetings and doing all that. That was terrific.”
The 37-year-old had to break into the league on the defensive side of the ball under Norv Turner in San Diego. After a one-year stint in Cleveland, he returned West to be a quality control coach for the Chargers under Mike McCoy.
With the franchise’s move north to Los Angeles saw a move up the ladder for Steichen. He ended the 2019 season as the interim offensive coordinator and became the full-time O-C in 2020.
Under his guidance, the Chargers had the 9th best offense in the N-F-L with offensive rookie of the year Justin Herbert leading the way.
Then came 2021. A chance to reunite with an old friend in Nick Sirianni and groom another up-and-coming star in Jalen Hurts.
In year two in Philly, Steichen has Hurts playing at an M-V-P level and the Eagles in the top 5 in scoring, total yards, and rushing yards.
His scheme is built on establishing the run while using various pre-snap motions to keep defenses on their toes. Something that would benefit Carolina given the Panthers strong stable of running backs.
When it comes to the success of Steichen’s units, letting the players be themselves on the field is a key component.
“You can’t change who they are personality-wise, these guys are who they are and you have to adapt to that,” said Steichen. “You can teach them and grow with them in their personalities but I think you have to let them be who they are and let them go play.”
