Nate Scheelhaase credits Louisville youth ministry for NFL rise

Nate Scheelhaase serves as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, a position he attained last winter. His path to the role involved a one-year stint as a youth pastor in Kentucky.

The 35-year-old moved to Louisville in 2014 after completing his career as a starting quarterback at the University of Illinois. He joined Southeast Christian Church to work with teenagers. His duties included visiting dozens of high schools and serving as chaplain for two football teams.

Scheelhaase said the work focused on building trust and encouraging students to pursue goals beyond themselves. He described the year as impactful, though coaching was not initially his objective. He had recently married and doubted the profession suited a young family after observing frequent coaching turnover.

He contacted Jason Epperson, an Illinois alum and team chaplain who had just joined Southeast Christian Church. Epperson informed him of an opening for a youth pastor. Chris Burke, an ESPN baseball analyst living nearby, observed Scheelhaase in pickup games and said he looked perfectly suited for the job.

A local mother asked Scheelhaase for help with her eighth-grade son, whose father had recently died. Scheelhaase provided rides and attended practices for the boy, Nate Hobbs. Hobbs now plays defensive back for the San Francisco 49ers and is a close friend of Scheelhaase.

Andrew Coverdale, then offensive coordinator at Trinity High School and now passing game coordinator at Kentucky, noted that Scheelhaase arrived with confident humility. Coverdale said Scheelhaase did not expect students to listen simply because of his college playing history. He emphasized the need for positive adult mentors for teenagers.

A pivotal moment occurred in 2014 during a chapel service for Eastern High School football players. Scheelhaase delivered a speech that received little response. When the head coach stood to give a pregame talk, the players were attentive. Scheelhaase said that contrast made him consider the influence a coach holds.

He began coaching running backs at Illinois in 2015. He stated that recruiting and developing players felt similar to the trust-building he performed in Louisville. He said connection is how he is wired. He became a coordinator at Iowa State in 2023 and joined Sean McVay's Rams staff as an offensive assistant the following year. McVay called Scheelhaase a special coach and a rising star in 2025.