assistant coach

Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters Monday that he had spoken with his assistant coaches about the way some of them behaved toward the end of the team’s 24-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

“We did talk about it,” McVay said, “and that won’t be an issue moving forward.”

Videos posted on X by user @RBPhillyTake appear to show some Rams coaches inside a glass-enclosed booth interacting with Eagles fans sitting outside directly below them. The caption on one of the videos says the coaching staff was “taunting Eagles fans after the game-winning touchdown.”

“The Rams coaches started to bang on the windows and flip off Eagles fans which caused retaliation (which also isn’t right),” the caption reads. At least one person in the Rams’ booth can be seen giving the middle finger to those outside. A fan appeared to throw a water bottle at the glass window, while others yelled and displayed their own middle fingers.

In another post, the user wrote that “the Rams coaches started banging on the windows for about 30 seconds after the touchdown which then resulted in the Eagles’ fans turning around and chirping back.”

Trailing 20-10 late in the fourth quarter, the Rams appeared to be on their way to a second-straight loss and a 1-3 start to a season in which they were considered by many to be the Super Bowl favorites. But Kyren Williams rushed for touchdowns of one and seven yards in the final four minutes to lift the Rams to a stunning comeback victory.

The sudden turn of events may have gotten folks in the Rams’ coaching booth a little too amped up.

“We’ll be better in those situations,” said McVay, a former assistant coach in Washington. “I’ve been a part of that situation where when I was with Washington calling it from the booth, and you get excited and emotional. … You know, we’ll learn from that. We’ll be better.

“Those fans are really into it. But I know we want to make sure we’re representing the class and just the calm steadiness that we want to have while also being emotionally into it. And there’s ways that we can have that reflected.”

The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter. Its personal conduct policy states that “everyone who is a part of the league” must refrain from behavior detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL. Earlier Monday, two officials were suspended for separate instances of “unprofessional conduct toward a player” during Sunday’s games.

Staff writer Gary Klein contributed to this report.

Tributes accumulated rapidly for Chris Spatola, a popular ESPN college basketball analyst who died Monday. He was 47.

Spatola is the son-in-law of legendary former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and was an assistant coach with the Blue Devils from 2007 to 2012. He married Krzyzewski’s daughter, Jamie, and the couple had three children together.

The cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.

“There are no words to adequately express our heartbreak over the loss of our beloved Chris Spatola,” the Krzyzewski family said in a statement through Duke. “Chris served our country, was a devoted husband and father, and was such an important part of our family. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, thoughts, and prayers we have received during this incredibly difficult time. We respectfully ask for privacy as our entire family, particularly Jamie and her three beautiful children, grieve and process this unimaginable loss.”

Spatola served in the U.S. Army after playing basketball at Army and studying at the U.S. Military Academy from 1998-2002. He deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for exceptional combat performance and the Army Commendation Medal for outstanding leadership.

As a player, Spatola was a four-year starter at guard and twice was named All-Patriot League. He commented on his military service for ESPN Press Room in 2018:

“Serving in the Army has made me better in every facet of my life — a better husband, father, professional,” Spatola said. “It exposed me to adversity, how to react to and deal with tough times and situations, and showed me that teams are better when you’re more concerned about serving others, serving the teammate to your right and left, and serving the mission. It forced me to realize there is no substitute for being prepared … and showed me that character matters.”

Spatola was on the Duke coaching staff in 2010 when the Blue Devils won one of their five national championships under Coach K. Soon after leaving Duke, Spatola was hired by ESPN and SiriusXM. He called games and appeared in studio for ESPN for the last 13 years.

“Chris Spatola brought a unique perspective to ESPN’s college basketball coverage, shaped by his experiences as a student-athlete, Army veteran, coach and broadcaster,” ESPN wrote in a statement. “He was thoughtful, prepared and passionate about the sport, earning the respect of colleagues, coaches, players and fans alike. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time.”

Fellow analysts flooded social media with an outpouring of praise.

“I am devastated over the passing of my friend and colleague Chris Spatola,” Jay Bilas wrote on Instagram. “Chris was a wonderful human being. A point guard at West Point, Chris was … a man of great humility and unusually high character. A great family man that was devoted to his wife Jamie and their wonderful family. Chris was selfless .… a fabulous colleague and knowledgeable basketball man. With Chris, it was never about him, it was only about the game, the players, the coaches, and the fans. Heartbroken beyond words to lose such a great friend, yet grateful beyond words to have known him.”

Longtime basketball analyst and Duke graduate Seth Davis also commented on Spatola’s friendship.

“I could not possibly come up with the words to describe how shocked and devastated I am to learn of Chris Spatola’s untimely passing. It will never make sense or seem real. Chris was one of the all time great dudes. A terrific broadcaster but most of all a treasured friend who absolutely adored and doted on his family…. May his memory be a blessing.”