The Rams and Chargers are slated for one-year turnarounds before their rookie head coaches even step foot on the sidelines.

Why? Sean McVay and Anthony Lynn are following a recent blueprint for success: delegate to seasoned, winning coordinators on D.

McVay hired Wade Phillips to run the Rams’ defense. Lynn tapped Gus Bradley to oversee the Chargers’. Both defensive coordinators are former head coaches whose achievements in the NFL command instant respect.

This sounds familiar.

In 2016, first-year head coaches Ben McAdoo (Giants), Adam Gase (Dolphins) and Dirk Koetter (Buccaneers) — all former offensive coordinators — led their teams to winning records. The Giants and Dolphins each made the playoffs with 10 wins, while Tampa Bay ended its season just outside the postseason at 9-7. All three teams had won just six games the season prior.

It wasn’t the offense, though, that stood out as the central reason for these turnarounds. The Bucs finished the season No. 18 in total offense; the Dolphins and Giants were 24th and 25th, respectively. Rather, these rookie coaches relied on experienced defensive minds to spearhead that side of the ball.

McVay and Lynn are undoubtedly hoping their defensive hires will mimic this formula.

Giants

In New York, McAdoo retained defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, architect of the Giants defense that beat the then-18-0 Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Spagnuolo spent three seasons as coach of the St. Louis Rams before eventually finding his way back to New York in 2015.

Deficient on defensive talent, Big Blue brought in key free agents last offseason that fit Spagnuolo’s scheme. The resurgence was startling. New York went from allowing the third-most points per game in 2015 (27.6) to the second-fewest (17.8) in 2016. Here’s Seth Walder of the New York Daily News:

“When Ben McAdoo took over Big Blue last offseason, some were surprised he elected to stick with Steve Spagnuolo as his defensive coordinator after the 2015 Giants D was ranked dead last in the NFL in total defense. But McAdoo kept the faith in the man known as “Spags” thanks to respect gained for him when the two were competitors back in 2007. At the time, McAdoo was the tight ends coach for Green Bay while Spagnuolo was the defensive coordinator with the Giants under Tom Coughlin.”

With an offense that struggled to run the ball and ranked 29th in time of possession, McAdoo leaned on the team’s strength — Spagnuolo’s defense — all the way to the playoffs.

Dolphins

Gase knew exactly what he was getting when he hired Vance Joseph in 2016 to run the Dolphins defense. Joseph was already a rising assistant in the league, with 11 seasons working with defensive backs.

Joseph’s ability to lead Miami’s injury-riddled unit to the playoffs caught the eyes of several teams, including the Broncos, who were actually interested in Joseph as a head-coaching candidate two years prior. Denver ultimately hired Joseph for the top job this past January. Here’s Gase via the Sun Sentinel‘s Omar Kelly:

“When we brought [Joseph] in the building we knew he would be in control of everything on that side of the ball,” Gase said. “He has that ‘alpha’ mentality and he has great leadership qualities. He holds players accountable and he leads them well.”

Buccaneers

The Buccaneers 2016 season looked lost after a 3-5 start — then Koetter’s most important offseason hire showed his worth.

Defensive coordinator Mike Smith, who was head coach of the Falcons for seven seasons, oversaw a unit that allowed just 12 points per game during a five-game winning streak. The Bucs improved to 8-5 before ultimately falling short of the playoffs.

Last September, Koetter told ESPN‘s Jenna Laine why he brought Smith — someone he previously worked with in Jacksonville and Atlanta — to Tampa Bay:

“I’ve seen it firsthand,” Koetter said. “I’ve seen what he is as a defensive coordinator, I’ve seen what he is as a head coach, I’ve seen what he is as a man, as a teacher and as a motivator and he’s top-notch in all those areas.”

Phillips and Bradley are top-notch, too. And with their expertise, perhaps they can co-author an L.A. comeback story with their rookie bosses in 2017.

Stats and information courtesy of NFL.com and Pro Football Reference.