THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams concluded a two-day interview with Vikings defensive co-ordinator Leslie Frazier on Wednesday, and later in the day began discussions with Cowboys offensive co-ordinator Jason Garrett.

General manager Billy Devaney is interviewing finalists in Los Angeles for the head coaching job, with the exception of Ravens defensive co-ordinator Rex Ryan, who met with the team in Baltimore on Sunday during a break in preparation for the AFC championship game.

Devaney said he hoped to hire a coach before the Senior Bowl on Jan. 24.

Devaney has already interviewed Jim Haslett, who went 2-10 as interim coach after the firing of Scott Linehan. Also on the short list is defensive co-ordinator Steve Spagnuolo of the Giants.

Devaney declined to rank the candidates, saying: "I don't have a top or bottom of the list."

Rams owners Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez along with senior adviser John Shaw, who resigned as team president after last season, are participating in the interviews. The Rams played in Anaheim, Calif., before moving to St. Louis in 1995, and Shaw remained based on the West Coast after the franchise relocated.

Haslett interviewed Tuesday for the Green Bay Packers' defensive co-ordinator job. He held that job with the Rams before being elevated following St. Louis' 0-4 start last season.

His interview with the Rams was a marathon five-hour affair a week earlier, and Haslett emerged optimistic about his chances. Haslett gave the team a laundry list of changes he would make, including bringing in former Rams head coach Mike Martz as his offensive co-ordinator.

"I just had a list of names of people I'd talked to and he was one of the guys on the list," Haslett said. "All of a sudden, things start growing."

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy was offensive co-ordinator with the Saints under Haslett earlier this decade.