Jeff Fisher ready for challenge of rebuilding the St. Louis Rams - Washington Post

ST. LOUIS â€" After a year off, Jeff Fisher says he is refreshed and ready to take on the challenge in St. Louis.

And this is some challenge: The Rams finished 2-14 this year, tied for the NFL’s worst, and have won all of 15 games the last five seasons.

Fisher was formally introduced as the new coach of the Rams on Tuesday after signing a five-year contract. He chose the Rams over the Dolphins.

“My decision was very, very simple,” he said. “It was based on a shared collective vision in restoring this franchise to a place of significance. It was that vision that made my decision very, very easy.”

Owner Stan Kroenke said the contract will keep Fisher in place “for a good while.”

“I think the more we talked the more comfortable we got,” Kroenke said. “Jeff was absolutely what we were looking for. I told him that early on. He’s a great coach, a great leader.”

Added chief operating officer Kevin Demoff: “The time was now for a bold statement about the future of this organization.”

Fisher reportedly will be paid $7 million per season but said his decision hinged on non-economic issues such as the franchise’s plan moving forward, and the makeup of the coaching staff and front office.

Fisher said reports the Dolphins were his first choice were not true. And despite the Rams’ struggles in recent seasons, Fisher said he doesn’t think they’re that far off. He said the Rams have holes but didn’t want to discuss specifics.

Fisher said the possibility of the Rams relocating was not a major factor in his decision. Kroenke can move the franchise after the 2014 season if the Edward Jones Dome is not deemed among the top quarter of stadiums in the NFL.

Kroenke was non-committal on the issue, noting that the city’s Convention and Visitors Commission is due to make a proposal for potential upgrades on Feb. 1. He did make a reference to his investment in St. Louis.

“I’ve been around here a long time,” Kroenke said. “Contrary to a lot of reports, I haven’t taken a lot of jack out of the market. I have put a lot of jack into the market. We’ll see how that process works out.”

Fisher will have a role in the hiring of a general manager, and said several times that decision-making will be a collaborative effort. The Rams have targeted about a dozen candidates, a handful of whom they’ve already interviewed.

The Rams did not confirm any assistant coaches, although it’s been widely reported that Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has agreed to join Fisher in that role. Fisher said only that he had some “very good options.”

Fisher inherits a franchise with a recent history of futility, averaging three wins per season under Scott Linehan, interim coach Jim Haslett and Steve Spagnuolo.

The 53-year-old Fisher sat out the 2011 season after 17 years in Tennessee. His long stint with the Titans included a Super Bowl matchup against the Rams in 2000 in which Tennessee fell 1 yard shy of forcing overtime in a 23-16 loss. The Titans won three division titles and made six playoff appearances under Fisher, who stepped down a year ago as the league’s longest-tenured coach, saying he needed a break.