Sid Gillman, Rams' HC, 1955-thru-'59
Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2025 1:29 pm
Maybe most of you never forget, but through the years I've forgotten a few times that not only did Sid HC in the NFL before his mostly-AFL time with the Chargers, but led his team - the Rams - to an NFL Championship Game his first year as an NFL HC in '55. And its not as if he took over a Rams team fresh off '50/'51 thus 'inheriting'. But LA were still decent-enough the few years leading up; and as for '55 itself, it was a real close-call getting to the LCG!
Rams start 3-0, Halas's Bears 0-3. But fast-forward to Wk#8, Bears beat the Rams for a second time marking their fifth-straight win overall, dropping the Rams to now the same record as they at 5-3 each. Rams then tie the Colts the following week as the Bears beat the Lions to put them a half-game up with three weeks to go. But Cards play spoiler in Wk#10, beating Bears at Comiskey, 53-14, Rams win not just that very week, but win-out, and that was that. They just win the race! Very similar to Gillman just barely making it over the finish-line past another team who swept them early, the Raiders, eight years later.
Sadly, however, the Rams fell off the next two years. An 8-4 (2nd-place tie with the Bears) finish in '58, but rock-bottom in '59 at 2-10 for Sid's last year with the Rams before going to the new league the following year.
What are your takes on Gillman's time with the Rams? Was it actually a case of he inheriting more than I said last paragraph? He cutting his teeth, being new to HC-ing in the NFL, thus the struggles right after '55? Or would the Rams have struggled anyway no matter who captained the ship? '58 an overachieving season, perhaps?
Rams start 3-0, Halas's Bears 0-3. But fast-forward to Wk#8, Bears beat the Rams for a second time marking their fifth-straight win overall, dropping the Rams to now the same record as they at 5-3 each. Rams then tie the Colts the following week as the Bears beat the Lions to put them a half-game up with three weeks to go. But Cards play spoiler in Wk#10, beating Bears at Comiskey, 53-14, Rams win not just that very week, but win-out, and that was that. They just win the race! Very similar to Gillman just barely making it over the finish-line past another team who swept them early, the Raiders, eight years later.
Sadly, however, the Rams fell off the next two years. An 8-4 (2nd-place tie with the Bears) finish in '58, but rock-bottom in '59 at 2-10 for Sid's last year with the Rams before going to the new league the following year.
What are your takes on Gillman's time with the Rams? Was it actually a case of he inheriting more than I said last paragraph? He cutting his teeth, being new to HC-ing in the NFL, thus the struggles right after '55? Or would the Rams have struggled anyway no matter who captained the ship? '58 an overachieving season, perhaps?