6 things to know about Bubba Ventrone, the Rams' new special teams coordinator
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Less than a week after their season ended, the Los Angeles Rams found a new special teams coordinator. They're hiring Raymond "Bubba" Ventrone to take the place of Chase Blackburn, who was fired last season and temporarily replaced by Ben Kotwica.
Ventrone is an experienced special teams coordinator who went from being a player to a coach, getting his start in 2015 on the Patriots' coaching staff.
Get to know Ventrone with these six quick facts.
He got the nickname “Bubba” as a child for his big head
Ventrone’s first name is Raymond but he goes by Bubba, a nickname given to him as a child. According to the Record Online, Ventrone received the nickname because he had a big head as a baby.
He played 10 years in the NFL on special teams
Before Ventrone got his start in coaching with the Patriots in 2015, he was a player. He spent 10 years in the NFL as a player, primarily contributing as a special teams ace. Ventrone played 97 games in his career, recording 43 tackles, one forced fumble and two quarterback hits.
He started out with the Patriots in 2005, played three years in New England and then spent four years with the Browns and two with the 49ers to close out his career. His last game was in 2014.
He founded a cancer research fund in seventh grade
When Ventrone was young, he and two of his friends started a charity basketball tournament to raise money for pancreatic cancer research. The idea came about after the grandfather of Ventrone’s friend died of pancreatic cancer months earlier.
Once they settled on a cause, they turned their attention to the details. The boys established the Nathan S. Arenson Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research, then decided their signature fundraising event would be called "Hoops for a Cure."
The games would be held every March or April at nearby Chartiers Valley High School (Ventrone's eventual alma mater) because of its massive basketball facility, which at one time hosted the high school district championship game.
His hard hits injured too many teammates in practice at Villanova
When he was in college, Ventrone was barred from hitting teammates in practice at one point. Why? Because he gave too many players concussions, leading the coaching staff to give him a red non-contact jersey.
His hard-hitting style was great on game days, but not so much throughout the week of practice.
"I gave a couple of guys concussions," Venrone said via the Record Online. "My coach would put a red jersey on me, I guess just to protect some of the other players. They didn't have that many scholarships, so we had to keep our good guys healthy."
He’s been a special teams coordinator since 2018
Ventrone’s first coaching job was as an assistant in 2015 but he was hired as a special teams coordinator in 2018 when the Colts gave him a chance under head coach Frank Reich. He’s been a special teams coordinator every year since, and will continue that streak in 2026 with the Rams.
He spent five years with the Colts from 2018-2022 and three years with the Browns from 2023-2025.
His special teams units have only ranked worse than 11th three times in eight years
The Browns were abysmal on special teams last year. That much is true. But Ventrone’s units haven’t been all bad during his career. Here’s a look at how they ranked based on Rick Gosselin’s annual lists.
His groups have ranked 11th or better in five of his eight seasons as a special teams coordinator.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams hire Bubba Ventrone: 6 things to know about new ST coordinator
