Linehan adds nine coaches to staff

~ The new coach called upon several of his former colleagues to help him in St. Louis.

ST. LOUIS -- Idaho coach Nick Holt is one of nine new coaches announced by the St. Louis Rams on Monday.

Holt, 43, will be defensive line coach. He was a colleague in the early 1990s with new Rams head coach Scott Linehan at Idaho, where Linehan also played. Holt was 5-18 in two seasons as head coach of the Vandals.

Holt has never coached in the NFL. He was linebackers coach at Southern California from 2001 to 2003, defensive line coach at Louisville from 1998 to 2000, and spent eight seasons at Idaho in an earlier stint, coaching the defensive line from 1990 to 1994 and linebackers from 1995 to 1997.

Linehan also is bringing to St. Louis another former colleague. Judd Garrett will coach tight ends. He worked with Linehan last season in Miami, where Linehan was offensive coordinator. He replaces Frank Falks.

New Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett will be joined by two coaches from New Orleans, where he was head coach before being fired this offseason.

Saints defensive coordinator Rick Venturi was named the Rams' assistant head coach and linebackers coach, replacing Joe Vitt. Venturi enters his 25th NFL season in 2006.

Fellow Saints coach Willy Robinson will also join the Rams as the secondary coach after one season in New Orleans in a similar role.

In other changes:

Ron Milus will take over for Gill Byrd as the assistant secondary coach for the Rams, leaving the New York Giants.

Paul Boudreau was named offensive line coach, replacing John Matsko and John Benton. Boudreau leaves the Jacksonville Jaguars and enters his 20th season as an NFL offensive line coach.

Wayne Moses will take over the running backs coach spot, replacing Wilbert Montgomery. Moses has been a coaching intern in the NFL and was Stanford's running backs coach last season.

Michigan State quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier joins the Rams in an identical role after three seasons with the Spartans.

Randy Hanson leaves the Minnesota Vikings to become the Rams' offensive quality control coach.

Bob Ligashesky was retained as special teams coach.