Sean McVay (born January 24, 1986) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He became the youngest NFL head coach in the modern era when he was hired by the Rams in 2017 at the age of 30. McVay is also the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl and be named NFL Coach of the Year. Prior to becoming Rams head coach, he served as a tight ends coach and offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins.
Within his first year, McVay turned a Rams team that had the league's lowest scoring offense the previous year into the top-scoring team of 2017 en route to a division title. The season also marked the Rams' first winning record since 2003 and first playoff appearance since 2004. Over the following seasons, McVay led the Rams to two Super Bowl appearances and won the franchise's first since 1999 in Super Bowl LVI. His success in Los Angeles is credited with spawning the "Sean McVay effect", in which NFL teams were more inclined to hire younger, offensive-minded head coaches.
McVay graduated from Marist School in Brookhaven, Georgia, in 2004. He was a four-year starter at Marist as a quarterback and defensive back for the War Eagles high school football team and the first player in school history to amass 1,000 yards rushing and passing in consecutive seasons. McVay totaled 2,600 yards rushing and 40 rushing touchdowns during his career and also passed for 2,500 yards and 18 touchdowns, leading the War Eagles to a 26–3 record, including a 14–1 record and state championship his senior year, when he was also named the Georgia 4A Offensive Player of the Year over future NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson.[7]
College career
McVay attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he played college football as a wide receiver from 2004 to 2007, earning Miami's Scholar-Athlete Award in 2007. McVay recorded 39 receptions for 312 yards for the RedHawks in his college career.[8] He graduated from Miami in 2008 with a B.S. in Health and Sports Studies.[2]
In 2010, McVay was hired as the assistant tight ends coach for the Washington Redskins under head coach Mike Shanahan. The following season, McVay was promoted to tight ends coach, a position he held through the 2013 season.[13][14]
On January 14, 2014, McVay was promoted to offensive coordinator by new Redskins head coach Jay Gruden.[15] Over the next three seasons, McVay had a direct impact in developing Kirk Cousins into a franchise quarterback. Becoming the full-time starter in 2015, Cousins led the Redskins to back-to-back winning seasons, throwing for over 9,000 yards and more than 50 touchdowns. In 2016, Cousins was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time. McVay's success with Cousins made him an attractive head coaching candidate and following the season was interviewed by both the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers.
Los Angeles Rams
On January 12, 2017, McVay was hired to become the 28th head coach of the Los Angeles Rams at the age of 30years, 354days. The hiring made him the youngest head coach in the NFL's modern era, surpassing Lane Kiffin, who was 31years, 259days old when hired by the Oakland Raiders in 2007,[16] and the youngest since 27-year-old Art Lewis became interim head coach of the Rams in 1938.[17] McVay would remain the youngest head coach in the NFL until the New England Patriots hired Jerod Mayo on January 12, 2024, exactly seven years to the day after McVay was hired by the Rams.[18]
McVay inherited a Rams team that finished 2016 in last place in points, total yards, touchdown passes and first downs, a team later ranked as having the second-worst offense of the decade based on Football Outsiders' DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) statistic.[19] On January 19, 2017, veteran coach Wade Phillips was hired as defensive coordinator.[20] On February 8, 2017, McVay hired Matt LaFleur as his offensive coordinator. LaFleur had previously worked with McVay in Washington when McVay was tight ends coach and LaFleur was quarterbacks coach.[21]
2017 season
On September 10, 2017, McVay made his regular-season head coaching debut against the Indianapolis Colts, and led the Rams to a 46–9 victory in a home game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.[22] Following a Week 2 27–20 loss to McVay's former team, the Washington Redskins, the Rams pulled off a close 41–39 road victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football.[23] During Week 4, the Rams turned a 16–24 deficit into a 35–30 upset road victory over the Dallas Cowboys, but they lost their next game to NFC West division rival Seattle Seahawks at home by a score of 16–10. Regardless, in just five games, the Rams offense scored a total of 142 (later 151) points, a league leader and franchise high.[citation needed] The Rams went on to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road by a score of 27–17 in Week 6 and the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 33–0 in an NFL International Series game for the team's first shutout win since 2014, as well as raising their record to 5–2 for the first time since 2004 (the last time the team made the playoffs)[24] and a first-place lead in the NFC West. McVay coached the Rams to a blowout against the New York Giants in their highest-scoring game, a 51–17 road victory, raising the Rams' record to 6–2. The Rams would win another home game against the Houston Texans by a score of 33–7 to raise their record to 7–2, which was their best record of the season since 2001.[citation needed]
In Weeks 11 and 12, the Rams lost to the Minnesota Vikings on the road by a score of 24–7 but won at home against the New Orleans Saints 26–20 to raise their record to 8–3. During a Week 13 32–16 road victory over the Cardinals, the Rams achieved their first winning season since 2003.[25] The next weeks: Week 14, Week 15, and Week 16, the Rams had two victories over the Seattle Seahawks in a 42–7 road victory and the Tennessee Titans in a close 27–23 road victory although they still lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 43–35. McVay's first season with the Rams saw them dramatically improve their record from the 2016 season, finishing with the team's first winning season and division title since 2003 and its first playoff berth since 2004. In the process, the Rams became the first team to have the top scoring offense in the league a year after finishing with the lowest the previous year.[26]
McVay interviewed by Terry Bradshaw after winning the NFC Championship
Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur left his position with the Rams on January 30, 2018, to move up to play caller as offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans and was not replaced.[29][30][31]
The Rams started the season 8–0, their best start to a season since 1969,[32] but they lost in New Orleans to the New Orleans Saints in Week 9 by a score of 45–35 to fall to 8–1.[33] After defeating the Seattle Seahawks 36–31 in Week 10, the Rams beat the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 54–51 in Week 11 on Monday Night Football in a highly anticipated matchup that was originally scheduled to be played in Mexico City, but was shifted to Los Angeles due to poor field conditions.[34][35][36]
Following a bye week, the Rams traveled to Detroit and defeated the Detroit Lions by a score of 30–16 to clinch their second straight NFC West title.[37] McVay then endured his first losing streak as a head coach as the Rams stumbled in back-to-back losses to the Chicago Bears (15–6) and the Philadelphia Eagles (30–23), both on NBC Sunday Night Football.[38] The Rams bounced back to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 31–9 and San Francisco 49ers 48–32 in the final two weeks to finish the regular season with a 13–3 record, tied for the second-most wins in franchise history.
In the Divisional Round, the Rams defeated the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 30–22.[39] The following week in the controversial NFC Championship Game, the Rams beat the Saints on the road by a score of 26–23 in overtime on a game-winning field goal by Greg Zuerlein in overtime to send the Rams to Super Bowl LIII, their first NFL championship appearance since Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. It was also the Rams' first Super Bowl appearance while based in Los Angeles since Super Bowl XIV in 1980. At age 33, McVay became the youngest head coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl.[17][40] However, the success would be short-lived, as the Rams would fall to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, with the Rams failing to score a single touchdown in the 13–3 loss (the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history).[41]
2019 season
The 2019 season was a disappointment, as the Rams were victims of the Super Bowl Losers' Curse and missed the playoffs with a 9–7 record. The Rams started the season 3–0, winning against the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Cleveland Browns. However, they then lost three straight to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers. Before a Week 9 bye, they won two games against the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals. The Rams then won four and lost four. The team faced problems during the season due to a combination of factors and lost in heartbreaking fashion on the road by a score of 34–31 against the 49ers, which eliminated the Rams from the playoffs.[42] Los Angeles finished the season at 9–7 with a season-ending 31–24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the team's final game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
After a 30–20 road victory over the Seahawks in the Wild Card Round, McVay and the Rams visited the first-seeded Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, who were led by one of McVay's former offensive coordinators, Matt LaFleur.[44] The matchup was the postseason contest with the youngest combined age between both head coaches in more than 50 years.[45] The Rams lost on the road by a score of 32–18 in the Divisional Round.[46]
However, the Rams stumbled as they passed the midway point of the season, losing 28–16 to the visiting Tennessee Titans during Week 9 on Sunday Night Football,[54] then getting routed 31–10 by the host San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football in Week 10.[55] After a Week 11 bye, the Rams' losing streak continued when they lost to the Green Bay Packers on the road by a score of 36–28, falling to a 7–4 record.[56] The Rams snapped their losing streak with a 37–7 blowout at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars, then followed that up with an impressive 30–23 road victory over the Cardinals, which vaulted the Rams back into the NFC West race.[57][58] Despite a two-day delay due to COVID-19 precautions, the Rams beat the Seahawks 20–10 at SoFi Stadium to improve to 10–4, then scored impressive road wins over the Minnesota Vikings (30–23) and the Baltimore Ravens (20–19) to clinch an NFC playoff spot. However, the regular-season ended with a 27–24 overtime loss to the 49ers, in which the Rams squandered a 17–0 lead.[59] Despite the loss, the Rams' first under McVay after they had led at halftime (a streak of 45 straight games), the Rams claimed the NFC West division title by virtue of Arizona's loss to Seattle that same day.
In the first NFL playoff game played on Monday Night Football, the Rams defeated their NFC West rival, the Arizona Cardinals, by a score of 34–11.[60] With the win, McVay's record over the Cardinals improved to 10–1 over five seasons. The following week, the Rams traveled to Tampa Bay and narrowly beat the Buccaneers 30–27.[61] The win put the Rams into the NFC Championship Game for the second time under McVay's leadership, giving him his fifth postseason victory, the most in team history. Returning to SoFi Stadium for the NFC Championship Game, the Rams rallied from a 10-point deficit to defeat their other NFC West rival, the San Francisco 49ers, by a score of 20–17, with McVay winning his second conference title and advancing to Super Bowl LVI,[62] where the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 23–20, rallying with a late touchdown to win.[63] The victory made McVay the youngest head coach in NFL history to win the Super Bowl at age 36.[64]
2022 season
Prior to the season opener, the Rams announced that McVay and General Manager Les Snead had signed extensions with the team, keeping them with the franchise until the 2026 season.[65] McVay and the Rams would host the Buffalo Bills in their first game for the 2022 season, where they unveiled their Super Bowl championship banner at SoFi Stadium.[66] The Rams would lose 31–10, in what would be the first time McVay would lose a season opener, and the first time he would have an active season record under .500.[67] McVay and the Rams struggled to defend their title throughout the season, as the team lost key members Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald to injury for significant portions of the year. Injuries led to the team turning to former #1 overall pick Baker Mayfield to start at quarterback for the remainder of the season.[68] Mayfield finished the year with a 2–3 record with wins coming against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football and the Denver Broncos on Christmas.[69] But with consecutive road losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams would finish 5–12 and miss the playoffs in McVay's first losing season as a head coach.[70]
2023 season
With the Rams having traded significant draft capital and given notably high contracts to pursue their Super Bowl championship, many predicted that a team rebuild loomed during the offseason. Despite McVay having signed an extension prior to the previous season, speculation arose that the Rams head coach would not want to take part in a rebuild and would instead step away from the team before the next season began.[71][72][73] Shortly after the regular season finished, sources stated that McVay would stay as head coach for the next season.[74] Throughout the offseason, media outlets ruminated over the Rams' dismal 2022 season, and with the team handling $75 million in dead cap money along with a roster filled with first- and second-year players, few outside the franchise organization expected the team to compete for the playoffs.[75] A winless (0–3) preseason in which the Rams were outscored 109–34 did little to dispel the pundits' pessimism.
The Rams opened the season with a surprisingly strong 30–13 rout of host Seattle.[76] Though Los Angeles dropped three of its next four games against San Francisco (30–23), Cincinnati (19–16), and Philadelphia (23–14), the Rams displayed unexpected resilience against a trio of teams widely expected to contend for the Super Bowl. The emergence of rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua and second-year running back Kyren Williams propelled Los Angeles to a 29–23 overtime win at Indianapolis in Week 4 and a 26–9 rout of Arizona at home in Week 6 to even the Rams' record at 3–3. But Williams suffered a severe ankle sprain that sidelined him on injured reserve for a month, and that, combined with injuries to quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp, hampered the Rams who dropped three straight games going into the bye week.
Los Angeles returned from the break and gutted out a 17–16 win over Seattle, then crushed Arizona (37–14) and Cleveland (36–19) before falling 37–31 to the AFC-leading Baltimore Ravens on the road. With Williams surpassing 1,000 yards rushing, Nacua setting numerous NFL rookie receiving records and the impressive play of rookie defensive stars Kobie Turner at nose tackle and Byron Young at linebacker, the Rams rolled to four straight victories to end the season. Back-to-back home victories against Washington (28–20) and New Orleans (30–22) were followed by a narrow 26–25 victory over the New York Giants that clinched a playoff berth (McVay's fifth in seven seasons), and a 21–20 win in Week 18 at San Francisco that ended a nine-game regular season losing streak to L.A.'s northern California nemesis. The Rams' 10–7 record improved McVay's regular season win total to 70 and overall win total (including playoffs) to 77, both second-most in franchise history behind John Robinson. Shortly after Los Angeles had clinched a playoff berth, McVay publicly declared that he intended to return as the team's head coach for the 2024 season.[77]
In an NFC Wild Card game played at Ford Field, the Los Angeles Rams lost a close contest 24–23 to the host Detroit Lions, in what marked in Detroit's first playoff win in 32 seasons.[78] Following the game, McVay gave much praise to his team, which defied most expectations in reaching the playoffs in what many considered to be a rebuilding year. "Man, did I learn a lot and really appreciate this group," McVay said following the end of his team's season. "They helped me find my way again."[79]
2024 season
In 2024, Sean McVay entered his eighth season as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, reinvigorated after considering retirement during the previous offseason. Despite McVay’s renewed enthusiasm, the Rams faced difficulties early in the season, starting with a 1-4 record by mid-October. Their sole victory came in Week 3, a 27-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers. However, the team struggled with consistency, particularly on defense, but McVay remained optimistic about the development of younger players, emphasizing that the 2024 season felt like "Year 1 again" as the team transitioned into a new era. Following the bye week, the Rams earned back-to-back home wins against the Las Vegas Raiders (20-15) in Week 7 and Minnesota Vikings (30-20) in Week 8. With the latter, McVay became Rams franchise all-time leader in overall coaching victories with 80, surpassing the total of 79 by John Robinson, who coached the Rams from 1983 to 1991. In Week 13, McVay surpassed Robinson for most regular season victories in team history with his 76th coming in a 21-14 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Four weeks later, a 19-9 win over the New York Jets clinched for McVay his seventh winning season in eight years.
Because of McVay's success as the Rams head coach at a young age, as well as his offensive prowess, NFL teams have started to look more towards younger offensive-minded coaches to be their head coaches, as opposed to coaches with defensive backgrounds or more experience. This trend has been coined the "Sean McVay effect".[81] Coaches who were hired as a result of this trend include Matt LaFleur (six years older than McVay), Zac Taylor (three years older), and Kevin O'Connell (eight months older), who all served as offensive assistants to McVay, along with Mike McDaniel (three years older), who was on the Washington Redskins coaching staff with McVay from 2011 to 2013.[82] Others have also cited McVay's offensive success to resulting in the fast rise of Kliff Kingsbury (six years older), who was ousted as head coach of a struggling Texas Tech program to being hired as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in a period of three months.[83] This term would later be expanded to include the hiring of relatively younger head coaches with defensive backgrounds as well.[84]
Personal life
McVay resides in Hidden Hills, California with his wife, Veronika Khomyn, a former model from Ukraine whom he met when he was a coach for Washington and she was a student at George Mason University.[85] He and Khomyn previously lived in Encino[86][87] along with Chris Shula, then the Rams linebackers coach, as a housemate.[88] They were engaged on June 22, 2019, while vacationing in Cannes, France.[86] They married on June 4, 2022.[89] The couple have a son, born in October 2023.[90]
McVay's grandfather, John McVay, was also an NFL head coach, having coached the New York Giants from 1976 to 1978 before going on to serve as an executive for the San Francisco 49ers between 1980 and 1999.[91][92]
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