Legendary Rams Head Coach Named 2026 Hall of Fame Candidate

Former Los Angeles Rams head coach Chuck Knox was named a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Along with Knox, who took the Rams to new heights in the 70s, former Rams head coach Clark Shaughnessy was named as well. Shaughnessy was critical in the development of Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch.

An offensive line coach by trade, Knox brought a run first, gritty mentality to Los Angeles when he was named Rams’ head coach in 1973. Knox’s physical style launched a Sean McVay-like turnaround over 40 years before McVay himself would sit where Knox once sat.

After a losing season in 1972, Knox would engineer a 12-2 season in 1973, winning NFL Coach of the Year, the first of three COTY awards Knox would win in his career. From 1973-1977, Knox was the Rams’ head coach, winning five straight NFC West titles, a franchise record he owns till today.

Dec 11, 1977; Los Angeles, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Joe Namath (obscured), Pat Haden (11) and Chuck Knox (left) talk on the sideline at the Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darryl Norenberg-Imagn Images / Darryl Norenberg-Imagn Images

Under Knox, the Rams were 54-15-1 and took three trips to the NFC Championship Game but were unable to make the Super Bowl. Knox was critical in the development of future Hall of Famer Jackie Slater while Lawrence McCutcheon recorded over 5,300 yards over five years as the main cow bell in Knox’s offense.

Knox’s use of the run game, including players like John Cappelletti and Wendall Tyler, helped mitigate the issues of the franchise having five different quarterbacks in five years and it was the team Knox built that Ray Malavasi used to win the 1980 NFC Championship before the Rams would lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIV.

After stepping down from the Rams following issues with ownership, Knox would spend five seasons as head coach of the Buffalo Bills and nine with the Seattle Seahawks, winning Coach of the Year and division titles with those teams before returning to the Rams in 1992. However, his second time around wasn’t successful, and Knox would retire after the 1994 season. He passed away in 2018 after spending his retirement as a family man and philanthropist.

Aug 6, 1994; Madison, WI, USA; FILE PHOTO; Los Angeles Rams head coach Chuck Knox prior to a pre-season game against the Green Bay Packers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Imagn Images © Copyright Imagn Images / RVR Photos-Imagn Images

If either Knox or Clark Shaughnessy is inducted, they will join Sid Gillman, George Allen, and Dick Vermeil as former Rams head coaches with their busts in Canton.

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