Who was Kurt Warner’s coach Dick Vermeil? All you need to know about the HC who transformed former Rams QB’s career

Kurt Warner played 12 seasons in the NFL. The quarterback won the Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams in 2000 under head coach Dick Vermeil.

Interestingly, Warner went undrafted in 1994 and later signed for Arena Football League side Iowa Barnstormers. He eventually signed with the Rams in December 1997 but was allocated to NFL Europe to play for the Amsterdam Admirals the following year.

Warner returned to St. Louis in 1999 and then-head coach Vermeil put his faith in the quarterback after an injury to QB1 Trent Green. He eventually led the Rams to the Super Bowl title in 2000, beating the Tennessee Titans in the big game. However, many believe Vermeil was the reason behind Kurt Warner's success in the big league.

Vermeil was born in Calistoga, California, and he later attended San Jose State University. He got his first job as an assistant coach at Del Mar High School in 1959 before taking up the head coaching job at Hillsdale High School the following year.

He then moved up to the junior college level and was the defensive backfield coach at the College of San Mateo in 1963. Vermeil also served as the head coach for Napa JC (1964) and as the assistant coach at Stanford (1965–1968).

His first NFL gig came as the special teams coach for the Los Angeles Rams in 1969. Vermeil spent one season as the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots. He had another stint with the Rams for two seasons as the quarterbacks and special teams coach.

Vermeil was appointed as the head coach for the UCLA Bruins for two years from 1974-75 before landing the head coaching job for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1976.

After a rather tough start in Philadelphia, Vermiel took the Eagles to the Super Bowl in 1980, but they lost to the Oakland Raiders. He coached two more seasons in Philadelphia before stepping away in 1982.

Vermeil took some time away from coaching and worked as a sports announcer for CBS and ABC for the next 15 years. He returned to the dugout as head coach of the St. Louis Rams in 1997 but had a torrid initial spell with the team

Vermeil was 9-23 after two seasons and his players did not appreciate his old-school tactics. However, with the help of Kurt Warner, he led the Rams to the Super Bowl win in 2000. He walked away from St. Louis after winning the franchise its first Lombardi Trophy.

Vermeil then took up the head coaching job with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001 and spent five years with the team before drawing curtains on his coaching career in 2006.

In 15 years of head coaching in the NFL, Vermeil racked up a 126-114 record, including 6-5 in the playoffs. The highlight of his career was the Super Bowl triumph with the Rams in 2000.

Kurt Warner's NFL stats and career honors

Former St. Louis Rams QB Kurt Warner

Kurt Warner began his NFL journey when he signed with the St. Louis Rams in December 1998. In 2000, he led the team to the Sui

The quarterback signed for the New York Giants in 2004 and spent one season with the team before joining the Arizona Cardinals in 2005. After five years with the Cardinals, Warner announced his retirement from football in January 2010.

Warner recorded a whopping 32,344 passing yards and 208 touchdowns on 2,666 passes across 12 years in the NFL. He also added 286 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Kurt Warner earned four Pro Bowl honors and was twice named the NFL's passing touchdown leader.