Scott Thomas Linehan (born September 17, 1963) is
the head coach of the of the St. Louis Rams. He
previously served as the offensive coordinator for
the Miami Dolphins in 2005 and the Minnesota Vikings
for three seasons (2002-04).
Scott Linehan was born and raised in Sunnyside,
Washington, the son of a high school principal and
the youngest of seven children. He graduated from
high school in 1982, and accepted an athletic
scholarship to play college football at the
University of Idaho, one hundred miles to the east.
Linehan was a quarterback for the Vandals under head
coaches Dennis Erickson (1982-85) and Keith
Gilbertson. He redshirted in 1982, was the back-up
to senior QB Ken Hobart in 1983, and became the
starter in 1984, but missed several games due to
injuries. Although the 1984 season started poorly at
2-5, the Vandals won their last four games to finish
at 6-5. In 1985, a healthy Linehan led Idaho to the
Big Sky title and consecutive I-AA playoff
appearances in 1985 & 1986. His career passing
yardage for the Vandals was over 7000 yards. He
received his bachelor's degree in public relations
in December 1986, and signed a rookie free agent
contract with the Dallas Cowboys in 1987, but a
shoulder injury quickly ended his playing career.
Linehan began his coaching career as a volunteer
coach at Sunset High School in Portland in 1987. At
this time he was also helping a friend with his
business, selling class rings for Josten's. Inspired
by watching his former college coach Dennis
Erickson's WSU Cougars defeat UCLA in the Rose Bowl
on television in late October 1988, Linehan decided
he definitely needed to be a coach on a full-time
basis.
He returned to Idaho as the wide receivers coach in
1989 under John L. Smith, then went to UNLV as the
quarterbacks coach for a season in 1991, then back
to Idaho (1992-93) as a quarterbacks coach/offensive
coordinator. In 1994, Linehan moved over to
Washington to coach under Jim Lambright, beginning
as the wide receivers coach, then adding offensive
coordinator duties in 1996. In January 1999,
Lambright was replaced as head coach by Rick
Neuheisel. Linehan moved east and became the
offensive coordinator at Louisville under head coach
John L. Smith, whom he worked for in both coaching
stints at Idaho.
Linehan stayed for three years with Louisville, then
moved up to the professional level in 2002, serving
under Mike Tice as the offensive coordinator of the
NFL's Minnesota Vikings for three seasons. Nick
Saban hired him for the same position in Miami in
2005. He was hired as the head coach of the St.
Louis Rams in early 2006.
Linehan's wife, the former Kristen Browitt is the
sister-in-law of actor Jim Caviezel. She and
Caviezel's wife Kerri are sisters.
