Rams name Walton defensive coordinator

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - The St. Louis Rams named Tim Walton their new defensive coordinator on Friday.

Walton was most recently the defensive backs coach for the Detroit Lions from 2009-2012. He was the defensive coordinator at the collegiate level with Miami-Florida in 2007 and Memphis in 2008.

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to add Coach Walton to our staff," Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said, noting the Lions run a similar scheme to that of the Rams. "Tim is a talented coach and he's spent the last four years working in our system. He will be a huge asset to our staff and we are all looking forward to working with him."

Walton replaces Gregg Williams, who was hired as the defensive coordinator prior to last season but never coached a down after being suspended for the entire 2012 campaign for his role in the New Orleans Saints bounty program.

The Rams opted to go with a committee approach last year rather than replacing Williams.

St. Louis appeared to have a deal in place with former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan last month, but it never formally materialized.

The Sports Network